,."^.. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


l^|28     12.5 
2.2 


us 

■a 


■  40 


11.25  nil  1.4 


6" 


20 

1.6 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


'1 V^'      <^^' 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mdthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


r~\X    Coverfj  damaged/ 


D 
D 
D 
D 
D 

D 


D 


Couverture  endommagde 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelllculde 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliur  J  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int^rieurt 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout6es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  film6es. 


□    Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

□    Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag^es 

□    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pelliculdes 

I — I    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 


D 
D 


Pages  d^color^es,  tachet^es  ou  piqu^es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d6tach6es 


I      I    Showthrough/ 


Transparence 


□    Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  in6gale  de  I'impression 

I      I    Includes  supplementary  material/ 


Comprend  du  materiel  suppl6mentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partiaEV  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partlellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6X6  film6es  d  nouveau  de  fapon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


D 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaires; 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmd  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqud  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


The  copy  filmed  here  hes  been  reproduced  thenks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  of  Congress 
Photoduplication  Service 


L'exemplaire  filmA  fut  reproduit  grAce  d  la 
gAnirositA  de: 

Library  of  Congress 
Photoduplication  Service 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  an  J  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Las  images  suivantes  ont  At*  reproduites  avcc  le 
plus  gran.i  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattetA  da  rexemplaire  filmA,  et  en 
conformitA  avec  les  conditiops  du  contrat  de 
filmagc . 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  —►(meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  sorner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  ImprlmAe  sont  filmAs  en  commengant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernlAra  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  ies  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant  par  la 
premlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  das  symbolas  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE ',  le 
symbole  ▼  signifie  "FIN  ". 

Las  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  ciichA,  il  est  filmA  A  partir 
de  I'anglo  supArieur  gauch<<i,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

I  III  I II  mil     mtmmmmmmimtm 


mmm 


7  d  Oi  V 


/^ 


TRANSACTIONS 


OF  THE 


Oneida  Historical  Society, 


AT  UTICA,   N.   Y., 


1898. 
MUNSON-WILLIAMS  MEMORIAL. 


No.    8. 


UTICA,  N.  Y. 
Utica  Herald  Job  Depaetmejjt. 

1898. 


THOMAS  R.  PROCTOR, 

Presideat  of  the  Oieida  Historical  Society,  Utica,  N.  Y. 


TRANSACTIONS 


OF  THE 


Oneida  Historical  Society, 

AT   UTICA,   N.    Y., 


1898 


MINSON-WILLIAMS  MEMORIAL. 


No.    8. 


UTICA.  N.  Y. 

Utica  Herald  Job  Departjiekt. 

1898. 


mmm$mlmm»m 


.L>A«KW9s;^ej  iyi-.'».v>-.'!*'»4>i*miei^tmaii 


rl:3  4  r>lM 


Officers  of  the  Society  Elected  for  1898. 


ALFRED  C.  COXE, 


Dana  VV.  Biuei.ow, 
Moses  M.  Baoo, 


I'rcsiihnt, 
THOMAS  H.   I'UOCTOU. 

Vice  PreaidfutH, 
X.  UUUTIS  WHITE. 


CYKUS  D.  PUESCOTT. 


Correnponding  Secretary, 
CIIAKLES  W.  DARLING. 

Recording  Seccetary, 
DONALD  McLNTYRE. 

Treamirer, 
WARREN  C.  ROWLEV. 


Executive  Committee, 


Qeoroe  C.  Sawyer, 

W.    I'lERREPONT  WniTE, 


N.  Curtis  White. 


Oeoroe  C,  Sawyer. 
Henry  J.  Coooesiiall, 
W.  Stuart  Wolcott, 
Thomas  R.  Proctor, 
Charles  W.  Darling, 
Edward  North, 
Moses  M.  Bago, 
Alexander  T.  Goodwin, 
N.  Curtis  White, 
Milton  H.  Merwin, 
Warren  <:.  Rowley, 
William  K.  Watson, 
P.  C.  J.  DeAngblis, 


Librarian, 
MOSES  M.  BAQG. 

Board  of  Councilors, 

Ellis  H.  Roberts, 
Isaac  3.  Hartley, 
Freder.^'K  W.  Guitbau, 
Robert  S.  Williams, 
Abbam  B.  Weaver, 
Dana  W.  Bigelow, 
Willis  E.  Ford, 
Cyrus  D.  Prbbcott, 
John  L.  Earl, 
Daniel  N.  Grouse, 
G.  Alder  Blumer, 
Thomas  W.  Spencer, 
W.  Pierrepont  White, 


wMSNWMMIHUUte^B 


The  Mohawks. 


A^  ENgrniY  into  tiikiu  oukhn  mkihations 

'         AND  INFLUENCK  UPON  TlIK  WHITK 
HETTLKllH. 

By  S.  L.  Kkky, 


The  .l-ulcnt  of  the  e»r.,  '"''-'.y '''/'jJ'Zt  ^IT. 
York  beci...  very  .oon  to  rocogn.M  the  tact  tl,»t  tliore  i.  a 

:r:te:rr„:  - '::i  :rr;r,.a,  «„,.  or.an»a 

h  aaer.omewhore  in  the  ,«-t  a.d  boundles,  w.lderne...  11  e.e 
Torfe  wore  «  „otenl  tuotor  .  ■  the  Revolutionary  .trugRle.  Our 
^Stle,  o.'  the  Mohawk  Valley  nret  tl,e,n  '»-  '»    -■  ^^ 

ft  i,  with  their  obscure  and  --^;",f;:7J '\UZTd 
has  to  do.     The  beginnings  uf    this  histoiy  aie 

far  outside  the  Mohawk  Valley.  vflstlesB 

In  the  sixteenth  century  Europe  swarmed  with  a  lestle  b 
populat  on  of  adrenturous  spirits.  All  avenues  for  romantic 
Svements  had  well  nigh  closed.  The  cr"-des  were  finished 
chivalry  and  knight  errantry  had  waned,  the  era  of  tiade  and 
"ce  for  all  mankind  had  not  ye^^-^f ' -f  ^^^^^^ 
of  mer,  bred  to  arms,  were  fit  for  nothing  else  but  wild  exploits 

''ThfdL'ctr;  of  a  new  world  came  in  a  good  time  for  Europe 
It  cleaxtdThe  al,  turned  the  minds  of  all  to  -w  thoughts  and 
new  pursuits,  and  instilled  new  life  and  new  hope  and  new 
«nercv  into  nations  and  individuals. 

The  greed  for  gold,  the  ardent  desire  to  make  proselytes  to 
the  tr^fe  faith,  the  live  of  adventure,  the  jealousy  of  nations 
tt  se  were  some  of  the  motives  that  sent  men  -^"«  -^  ^^^ 
the   unknown  from  all  the  harbors   of    Spain   and   Poitugal, 
France  and  England,  and  Holland  and  Italy. 


ONKIHA    UISTOUHAI.   SO<  IKTV, 


C(»liiml)ii8  bulicvud  tliiit  lio  limi  diricovcM-cd  tlio  rnost  ciiHtcrit 
oxt(MiHion  of  tho  Spico  IgliindM  of  the  Iixliiiii  Sou,  mid  if  lio 
coiitiiiiUMl  Biiiliiif?  to  tlio  wcHt  lit'  would  rciKdi  Cliiiiii  iiiid 
(Jipttn^o. 

An  itn|iorfect  Miiiiticiil  knowlod^'o  tliiit  lod  to  cM'i'ora  in  liititiido 

and  lon^'itudo  fuhterod  tliOHu  uitoih  in  livter  yoiu'M,  und  ciiuaod 

an    nntiriii)(   Hciircli    for   ti    waterway    tliitiij^li    tlio    American 

rontinont.     In  conHefiucnof  of  tliiH  ovory  rivor  and  ovory  arm 

of    tlio   Mca   wiiH   t'xjdoiod    from    lludtjou    Buy  to  tlio  Uulf    of 
Mexico. 

Among  tlio  many  hold  iidvonturerH  wlio  at  that  early  day 
went  sailing  out  into  the  went,  was  one  who  was  the  first  to 
como  in  contact  with  the  aborigines  of  tho  Mohawk  Valley. 
On  tljo  ICtli  of  May,  ir);}r),  .Jac(|ue8  Cariicr,  with  a  goodly 
company  of  gontlemon,  sailed  from  tho  ancient  fort  of  St.  Malo. 
He  was  to  search  out  some  now  land  where  troops  of  converted 
pagans  would  compensate  for  the  ravages  made  by  IjUther  and 
(/'alvin  upon  tho  church. 

His  fortune  lod  him  to  enter  the  great  river  whi'cli  he  named 
Ht.  Lawrence;  but  although  ho  did  not  and  could  not  realize 
liow  great  a  discovery  he  had  made,  still  when  he  saw  how  vast 
was  tho  stream  he  was  filled  with  high  ho))eB  that  ho  had  indeed 
found  the  way  to  China. 

Carefully  and  slowly  ho  glided  on  between  banks  of  autumnal 
foliage;  wild  fowl  in  immense  numbers  clamored  in  tho  water, 
and  herds  of  deer  fed  in  the  coves  and  bays.  lie  passed  the 
grim  gorge  where  the  Saguenay  is  seen,  and  at  the  rock  of 
Quebec  he  found  tho  Indian  village  of  Stadaconn^.  Here  the 
Frenchmen  were  welcomed  by  dancing  -d  shouting,  and  held 
an  audience  with  the  "king,"  the  ]^.  .c  Donnacoua.  We 
have  reason  to  think  that  these  are  the  first  Mohawks  that 
appear  in  history. 

But  they  learn  that  still  further  up  the  great  river,  many 
days'  journey,  there  lias  another  town  far  larger  and  more 
important.  It  was  called  Ilochelaga,  as  was  also  the  rive"  and 
the  country  around.  Continuing  his  journey,  on  the  2d  of 
October  1535,  Cartier  reached  this  great  town — this  unknown 
and  mysterious  Ilochelaga.  And  as  this  is  the  very  beginning 
of  the  history  of  the  Mohawk  Valley — Stadaconnd  and  Hoche- 


laj 
rai 
ao 

801 

at 
bi 

"l 
ac 

la 

hi 

a 
di 

ill 
di 

C( 

A 

II 

0( 

si 

g 

o: 

BI 

tl 

b 

S( 

a 

d 

0 

1. 
h 
f 
I 

c 

i 


TIIK    MOIIAWKrt. 


lU  iiiohI  CHHtorit 

Sou,  and  if  lio 

iioh   (!hinft    uiul 

trroi'8  in  latitmlo 

iiii'H,  uiul  ouuaod 

tho    Amoriciui 

iind  ovory  iirm 

to  tiio  Gulf   of 

that  oiirly  diiy 
hviiH  tho  llrHt  to 
VIohiiwii    Valley . 

with  a  Kot'dly 
rort  of  St.  Malo. 
ps  of  convoitod 
I  by  liUther  and 

whicli  he  named 
ould  not  roali/e 
he  miw  liow  vast 
it  ho  had  indeed 

ika  of  autninna] 

d  in  tho  water, 

IIo  passed  the 

at  the  rock  of 

annf;.     Here  the 

)uting,  and  held 

onnacoua.     We 

Mohawks   that 

•eat  river,  many 
irger  and  more 
80  tho  rive-  and 
,  on  the  2d  of 
— this  unknown 
)  very  beginning 
m5  and  Hoche- 


luKtt  bolonKing  to  tho  same  tribe— and  tho  llr»t  wo  liear  of  that 
race  of  iavaKCs,  who  in  llio  uftcr  time  were  uncli  pr-iniincnt 
actors  in  all  of  <.ur  bonier  warfare,  it  may  bo  well  to  doHcribo 
lomowhat  niinnlt'iy  th«  town  and  poopU'. 

That  tlioy  wero  Iro.|uoiH  and  Mohawk  I  shall,  as  I  procood, 
attomi)t  to  (lonionstrute,  uh  far  as  tho  nnoortain  data  will  allow, 
bnt  at  the  same  time  1  do  not  insist  npon  a  theory  foundod 
upon  what  may  bo  considorcd  unsatisfactory  evidence.  Cartior'i 
account  of  Hocholaga  and  its  people  I  will  give  in  the  graphic 
lunguago  of   Francis   Parkman,  the  most  fascinating  of  all  our 

historians. 

"  Where  now  are  seen  tho  <|uays  and  storehouses  of  Montreal, 
a  thousand  Indians  thronged  tho  shore,  wild  with  delight, 
dancing,  singing,  crowding  about  tho  strangers,  and  showering 
into  tho  boats  their  gifts  of  IImIi  and  maize;  and  as  it^  grow 
dark  llrcs  lighted  up  tho  night,  while  far  and  near  tho  French 
could  see  tho  excited  savages  leaping  and  rejoicing  by  the  blaze. 
At  dawn  of  day,  marshalled  and  acoutred,  thoy  set  forth  for 
Ilocholaga.  An  Indian  path  le.l  thorn  through  tho  forest  which 
covered  the  site  of  Montreal.  Tho  morning  air  was  chill  and 
sharp,  the  leaves  were  changing  hue,  and  beneath  tho  oaks  the 
ground  was  thickly  strewn  with  acorns. 

Thoy  soon  met  an  Indian  Chief  with  a  party  of  tribes  men, 
or  as  the  old  narrative  has  it,  "one  of  the  principal  lords  of  the 
said  city,  attended  by  a  numerous  retinue."  Oroeting  them  after 
tho  concise  courtesy  of  the  forest,  h«  led  them  to  a  tire  kindled 
by  the  side  of  the  path  for  their  comfort  and  refreshment, 
seated  them  on  the  earth  and  made  them  a  long  harangue, 
receiving  in  requital  for  his  elo(iuence  two  hatchet'!,  two  knives 
and  a  crucifix,  the  last  of  which  he  was  invited  to  kiss.  This 
done  they  resumed  their  march,  and  presently  issued  forth  upon 
open  fields  covered  far  and  near  with  the  ripened  maize,  its 
leaves  rustling,  its  yellow  grain  gleaming  between  the  parting 
husks.  Before  them,  wrapped  in  forests  painted  by  the  early 
frost,  rose  the  ridgey  back  of  the  mountain  of  Montreal,  and 
below  encompassed  by  its  cornfleldB  lay  the  Indian  town. 

Nothing  was  visible  but  its  encircling  palisades.  They  were 
of  trunks  of  trees  set  in  a  triple  row,  the  outer  and  inner  ranges 
inclined  till  they  met  and  crossed  near  the  summit  while  the 


ONEIUA    HISTORICAL   SOCIEl'V. 


upright  row  between  them,  aided  by  transverse  braces,  gave  to 
the  whole  an  abundant  strength. 

Within  were  galleries  for  the  defenders,  rude  laddeis  to  mount 
them,  and  magazines  of  stones  to  throw  down  on  the  heads  of 
assailants.  It  was  a  mode  of  fortification  practiced  by  all  the 
tribes  speaking  dialects  of  the  Iroquois. 

The  voyagers  entered  the  narrow  portal.  Within  they  saw 
some  fifty  of  those  large  oblong  dwellings  so  familiar  in  after 
yoavs  to  the  eyes  of  tlie  Jesuit  Apostles  in  Iroquois  and  Huron 
forests.  They  were  fifty  yards  or  more  in  length  and  twelve  or 
fifteen  wide,  framed  of  sapling  poles  closely  covered  with 
sheets  of  bark,  and  each  containing  many  fires  and  many 
families. 

Here  Cartier  and  his  followers  stopped  while  the  surrounding 
houses  of  bark  disgorged  their  inmates— swarms  of  children, 
and  young  women  and  old,  their  infants  in  their  arms.  They 
crowded  about  their  visitors  crying  with  delight,  touching  their 
beads,  feeling  their  faces,  and  holding  up  the  screeching  infants 
to  be  touched  in  turn. 

Strange  in  hue,  strange  in  attire,  with  moustached  lip  and 
bearded  chin,  with  arquebuse  and  glittering  halberd,  helmet 
and  cuirass— were  the  marvellous  strangers  demigods  or  men  ? 
Due  time  allowed  for  this  feminine  rapture  the  warriors  inter- 
posed, banished  the  women  and  children  to  a  distance  and 
squatted  on  the  ground  around  the  French,  row  within  row,  of 
swarthy  forms  and  eager  faces,  -as  if"  says  Cartier,  "we  were 
going  to  act  a  play."  Then  appeared  a  troop  of  women  bearing 
a  mat  with  which  they  carpeted  the  bare  earth  for  the  behoof  of 
of  their  guests. 

The  latter  being  seated  the  chief  of  the  nation  was  borne 
before  them  on  a  deerskin  by  a  number  of  his  tribesmou,  a 
bed-ridden  old  savage,  paralyzed  and  helpless,  squalid  as  the 
rest  in  his  attire,  and  distinguished  only  by  a  red  fillet, 
inwrought  with  the  dyed  quills  of  the  Canada  porcupine,  encir- 
cling his  lank  black  hair. 

They  placed  him  on  the  ground  at  Cartier's  feet,  and  made 
signs  of  welcome  for  him,  while  he  pointed  feebly  to  his  power- 
less limbs,  and  implored  the  healing  touch  from  the  hand  of  the 
French  chief. 


•se  braces,  gave  to 

lo  laddeis  to  mount 
1  on  the  heads  of 
racticed  by  all  the 

Within  they  saw 
)  familiar  in  after 
oquois  and  Huron 
gth  and  twelve  or 
sely  covered  with 
|r  fires   and    many 

B  the  surrounding 
'irms  of  children, 
;heir  arms.  They 
it,  touching  their 
screeching  infants 

justached  lip  and 
I  halberd,  helmet 
lemigods  or  men  ? 
;ho  warriors  inter- 

0  a  distance  and 
i'ow  within  row,  of 
Oartier,  "we  were 
of  women  bearing 

1  for  the  behoof  of 

nation  was  borne 

his  tribesmoii,  a 

88,  squalid  as  the 

by  a    red    fillet, 

poi'cupine,  encir- 

r's  feet,  and  made 
ebly  to  his  power- 
tn  the  hand  of  the 


THK    MOHAWKS. 


9 


Cartier  complied,  and  received  in  acknowledgement  tlie  red 
lillet  of  his  grateful  patient.  And  now  from  surrounding  dwell- 
ings appeared  a  woeful  throng,  the  sick,  the  lame,  the  blind, 
the  maimed,  the  decrepit,  brought  forth  and  placed  on  the  bi*rc 
earth  before  the  perplexed  commander,  "As  if,"  he  says,  "a 
God  had  come  down  to  cure  the..!." 

His  skill  in  medicine  being  far  behind  the  emergency,  he  pro- 
nounced over  his  petitioners,  a  portion  of  the  Gospel  of  St. 
John,  of  infallable  efficacy  on  such  occasions,  made  the  sign  of 
tlie  cross,  and  uttered  a  prayer,  not  for  their  bodies  only,  but 
for  their  miserable  souls.  Next  he  read  the  passion  of  the 
Saviour,  to  which,  though  comprehending  not  a  word,  his 
audience  listened  with  grave  attention. 

Then  came  a  distribution  of  presents.  The  squaws  and 
ciiildren  were  recalled,  and  with  tlie  warriors  placed  in  separate 
groups.  Knives  and  hatcliets  were  given  to  the  men,  beads  to 
the  women,  and  pewter  rings  and  images  of  the  Agnus  Dei  flung 
among  the  troop  of  children,  whence  ensued  a  vigorous  scramble 
in  the  Square  of  Hochelaga." 

Then  there  was  a  blare  of  trumpets,  and  bidding  their  hosts 
farewell,  they  formed  their  ranks  and  defiled  through  the  gates 
once  more.  "  A  body  of  Indians  followed  and  guided  them  to 
the  top  of  the  neighboring  mountain.  Cartier  called  it  Mount 
Royal— Montreal— and  hence  the  name  of  the  busy  city,  which 
now  holds  the  site  of  the  vanished  Hochelaga." 

From  the  summit  Cartier  looked  out  "east,  west  and  south, 
and  saw  the  mantling  forest  over  all,  and  the  broad  blue  ribbon 
of  the  river  glistening  amid  a  realm  of  verdure.  Beyond  to  the 
bounds  of  Mexico  stretched  a  leafy  desert,  and  the  vast  hive  of 
industry,  the  mighty  battleground  of  later  centuries,  lay  sunk  in 
savage  torpor  wrapped  in  illimitable  woods." 

Such  was  Hochelaga,  and  it  is  evident  from  Cartier's  account 
that  it  was  an  Iroquois  town. 

The  mode  of  fortification  and  the  surrounding  corn  fields 
would  prove  this,  for  the  Iroquois  only  lived  in  such  towns,  and 
were  an  agricultural  people.  All  the  Algonquin  hordes  were 
nomads,  living  the  wandering  life  of  hunters,  gorged  at  one 
time  with  food,  and  shivering  with  cold  and  hunger  through  the 
long  winters. 


iaBC»!«>vaw/5*-  -'^iiHsm*" 


10 


ONKIDA    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY. 


Tliere  were  also  certain  aftiniticH  beiv,  I'en  tlieir  language  and 
tliat  of  tlie  Iroiiuois.  Caiticr  says  that  tlie  native  name  for  the 
country  around  Quebec  was  <  anada,  and  Canada  is  a  pure 
Mohawk  word  signifying  town  or  vlUage. 

Colden,  also,  says  in  his  history  of  the  Five  Nations,  that  the 
]\rohawks  had  a  tradition,  that  they  were  formerly  settled  at 
Montreal,  and  that  they  were  driven  out  by  the  Adirondacks. 

And  last,  but  by  no  means  least,  is  the  archiV'ologioal  evidence, 
.which  will  receive  particular  attention  when  we  come  to  examine 
the  prehistoric  village  sites  of  the  Mohawk  valley. 

Seventy  years  after  Cartier's  time  the  whole  region  was  occu- 
pied by  AlgoiHiuin  tribes,  and  no  trace  remained  of  Stadaconc  or 
of  llochelaga. 

What  had  become  of  the  people  ?  An  overwhelming  force  of 
wandering  Algonciuins  had  destroyed  their  towns,  but  it  is  not 
to  be  supposed  that  so  lierce  a  race  of  savage  warriftrs  as  these 
old  llochelagans  were  exterminated.  To  what  new  land  had 
they  gone  ?  I  think  we  shall  find  them  seated  in  impregnable 
strongholds  among  the  hills  and  in  the  dense  forests  of  the 
Mohawk  valley,  Jleeing,  for  the  time  being,  before  their  enemies, 
and  biding  tlieir  time  to  wreak  a  sure  and  terrible  vengeance  on 
them  all.  They  liad  put  the  impassable  wilderness  of  the  Adi- 
rondacks  between  them  and  their  northern  foes. 

Seventy  years  had  passed  away,  and  now  we  come  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  seventeenth  centu'  y  full  of  great  events  and  the  most 
picturesque  characters.  The  gentlemen  and  the  free  lances  of 
England  led  by  Sir  Walter  lia'.eigh  ;  the  days  of  Jamestown  and 
of  John  Smith  ;  of  Pocohontas  and  Powhattan  ;  the  days  of 
Hudson  and  New  Amsterdam  ;  the  days  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers, 
the  Mayflower  and  the  Plymouth  Rock 

The  century  is  full  of  action,  of  motion,  of  unrest,  of  cruelty, 
war  and  conquest  ;  all  the  seas  of  the  world  are  whitened  by  the 
sails  of  discoverers,  bucaneers,  pirates,  traders  and  missionariea. 

France  remembers  the  St.  Luwrence,  and  the  crowds  of 
heathen  in  Hochelaga,  anr"  sends  Samuel  de  Champlain  to 
four.d  a  New  France  in  North  America  ;  aud  Holland,  t:  e  most 
wonderful  and  interesting  of  all  nacioTis,  fosters  science,  and  the 
arts,  at  home  not  only,  but  colonizes  the  East  Indies,  and  sends 
Hendrick  Hudson  to  found  a  new  Amsterdam  beyond  the  west- 
ern sea. 


THE    MOHAWKS, 


n 


tlieir  language  and 
native  name  for  the 
Canada    is  a   pure 

le  Nations,  that  the 
formerly  settled  at 
the  A'lirondacks. 
ha'ologioal  evidence, 
we  come  to  examine 
illey. 

le  region  wag  occu- 
ned  of  Stadacone  or 

rwhelming  force  of 
)wn8,  but  it  is  not 
3  warriftrs  as  these 
vhat  new  land  had 
;cd  in  impregnable 
snse  forests  of  the 
efore  their  enemies, 
rrible  vengeance  on 
erness  of  the  Adi- 
)es. 

3  come  to  the  open- 
)vents  and  the  most 
the  free  lances  of 
}  of  Jamestown  and 
.ttan  ;  the  days  of 
le  Pilgrim  Fathers, 

unrest,  of  cruelty, 
ire  whitened  by  the 
s  and  missionaries, 
ad  the  crowds  of 
de  Ohamplain  to 
Holland,  V.  e  most 
ers  science,  and  the 
it  Indies,  and  sends 
m  beyond  the  west- 


Hudson  and  Champlain,  in  the  same  year— KlOU— began  to 
make  the  history  of  our  State  and  of  the  Mohawk  valley.  Of  the 
former  we  need  say  little  at  present,  for  wo  shall  see  the  results 
f  his  discoveries  further  on  in  the  settlement  of  New  York, 
Albany  and  Schenectady.  Of  the  latter,  and  of  his  first  fatal 
interview  with  the  Mohawks,  which  was  so  far  reaching  in  its 
,  llects,  and  is  so  intimately  associated  with  our  early  history,  we 
must  treat  somewhat  in  detail. 

In  our  prosaic  age  we  look  with  wonder  and  astonishment  upon 
t,iich  men  as  t!hamplain  and  liis  company,  who  came  into  a  dis- 
mal wilderness  of  woods,  tenanted  only  by  savage  beasts  and 
Hiivage  men,  with  plumed  helmets  tmd  silken  doubtlcts,  with 
scarlet  breeches  and  diamond  shoe  buckles,  with  lace  and  frills, 
and  all  the  refined  tastes,  and  fastidious  hobits  of  the  gentlemen 
jind  scholars  of  the  most  luxurious  country  of  Europe.  It  would 
seem  to  us  that  such  a  style  of  dress  was  illy  fitted  for  the  rough 
life  of  soldiers  and  discoverers  in  a  land  of  such  savage  aspect  aa 
the  Canada  of  that  day.  But  it  was  the  way  of  the  world  in 
those  days,  some  of  tlie  last  lingering  remains  of  an  age  of 
romance,  which  has,  as  we  look  back  upon  it,  such  a  highly 
decorative  aspect. 

Champlain  had  been  in  Canada  since  1003  ;  untamed  by  ad- 
versity, undaunted  by  dangers  and  disappointments,  he  was  ever 
ready  to  reach  out  into  that  unknown  wilderness  of  which  he 
had  heard  from  his  Algonquin  allies  who  came  from  far  up  the 
Ottawa  and  the  St.  Lawrence. 

"  During  the  last  autumn  a  young  chief  from  the  banks  of  the 
Ottawa  had  been  at  Quebec,  and,  amazed  at  what  he  saw,  he  had 
begged  Champlain  to  join  him  in  the  spring  against  his  enemies 
—these  enemies  were  a  formidable  race  of  savages,  the  Iroquois, 
or  Five  Confederate  nations  dwelling  in  fortified  villages  within 
liuiits  now  embraced  by  the  State  of  New  York,  and  who  were  a 
terror  to  all  the  surrounding  forests." 

This  is  the  first  we  hear  of  these  people,  and  the  first  rumor 
that  reached  the  ears  of  the  French  concerning  them. 

Champlain  consented  to  go  with  the  young  chief,  but  it  was 
not  until  May,  1G09,  that  he  started  on  his  hair  brained  expedi- 
tion—an expedition  that  in  the  after  years  resulted  in  so  much 
woe  to  the  colony  of  New  France,  for  as  well  might  he  have  ad- 


12 


ONKIDA    UISTOBICAI,    SOCIETY. 


ventured  into  the  wild  wolf's  den,  as  to  have  aroused  the  fierco 
hate  of  the  savage  Mohawks . 

But  Champlain  despised  the  whole  Indian  race,  and  with  ii 
courage  begotten  of  ignorance,  he  set  out  with  a  few  companions 
and  a  motley  horde  of  Algonquins  and  Ilurons.  Their  course 
was  up  that  river  of  many  names,  "  The  lliver  of  the  Iroquois," 
the  Kichelieu;  the  St.  John  ;  the  Chambly  ;  the  St.  Louis  ;  the 
Sorel.  It  is  the  outlet  of  the  lake  that  bears  his  name.  By 
slow  stages  the  mongrel  crowd  of  savages  felt  their  way  by  canoe 
and  on  foot  through  the  tangled  woods,  and  past  the  roaring 
rapids. 

The  glistening  waters  of  the  lake  came  into  view,  and  great 
mountain  peaks  were  seen,  far  off,  and  near  at  hand,  and  be- 
yond, far  to  the  south  in  secluded  valleys,  and  fastnesses  of  the 
hills,  lurked  the  Mohawk.  At  last,  not  far  from  Ticonderoga, 
tliey  came  in  sight  of  their  enemies,  and  Champlain,  like  Great 
Heart,  assayed  to  meet  them  with  all  the  nonchalence  of  an  old 
fighter. 

The  account  says  :  "  Over  his  doublet  he  buckled  on  abreast 
plate  and  a  back  piece;  on  his  thighs  were  plates  of  steel,  and  on 
his  head  a  plumed  casque;  across  his  shoulder  hung  the  strap  of 
his  bandoleer;  at  his  side  was  his  sword,  and  in  his  hand  his 
arquebuse  loaded  with  four  balls.  Such  was  the  equipment  of 
this  ancient  Indian  fighter,  whose  exploits  date  eleven  years  be- 
fore the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth,  and  sixty-six  years 
before  King  Philip's  war. 

Then  from  out  their  barricade  marched  some  two  hundred 
strong  men;  the  finest  fighters  in  North  America.  Champlain 
stepped  forth  and  stood  face  to  face  with  the  Mohawks,  planted 
his  arquebuse,  lighted  the  fuse  and  fired.  Two  chiefs  fell  dead? 
and  after  a  fierce  bu  ;tle  the  Iroquois  were  routed  and  driven  into 
the  woods. 

"Thus,"  as  Parkman  says,  "did  New  France  rush  into  col- 
lision with  the  redoubted  warriors  of  the  Five  Nations;  Cham- 
plain had  invaded  the  tiger's  den,  and  now  in  smothered  fury 
the  patient  savage  would  lie,  biding  his  day  of  blood." 

But  we  are  not  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  New  France,  although 
that  is  a  subject  profoundly  interesting,  and  intimately  associ- 
ated with  the  history  of  our  own  valley,     l^et  us  go  back  with 


aroused  the  fierce 

n  race,  and  with  ii 
;h  a  few  companione 
one.  Their  course 
er  of  the  Iroquois," 
the  St.  Louis  ;  the 
ars  his  name.  By 
;  their  way  by  canoe 
d  past  the  roaring 

ito  view,  and  great 
f  at  hand,  and  he- 
ld fastnesses  of  the 
•  from  Ticonderoga, 
am  plain,  like  Great 
ichalence  of  an  old 

buckled  on  a  breast 
ates  of  steel,  and  on 
r  hung  the  strap  of 
d  in  his  hand  his 
the  equipment  of 
.te  eleven  years  be- 
,  and  sixty-six  years 

some  two  hundred 
nerica.  Cham  plain 
!  Mohawks,  planted 
wo  chiefs  fell  dead? 
ted  and  driven  into 

nee  rush  into  col- 
ve  Nations;  Cham- 
in  smothered  fury 
f  blood." 

)w  France,  although 
I  intimately  associ- 
t  us  go  back  with 


THE   MOHAWKS. 


IS 


the  remnant  of  the  Mohawks,  who  escaped  the  fatal  fray  with 
Champlain,  and  enter  with  them  into  their  strongholds,  among 
tiie  dense  forests  of  the  Mohawk.  The  long  and  weary  way 
leads  from  Lake  George  along  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Adiron- 
dack wilderness,  and  strikes  the  Mohawk  river  at  some  point 
west  of  Amsterdam,  or  perhaps  the  way  may  be  across  to  the 
Siicondaga,  and  so  through  the  forests  to  their  villages. 

And  now,  in  investigating  this  obscure  and  prehistoric  period 
of  the  Mohawks,  I  have  to  reconstruct  it  as  I  may  from  personal 
investigations  among  the  sites  of  their  old  villages.  There  is  no 
written  record,  and  if  inferences  are  drawn  and  theories  sug- 
gested it  is  with  diffidence,  and  not  with  assertion. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  period  suggested  was  after  the 
destruction  of  Ilochelaga — somewhere  between  Cartier's  visit  in 
1535  and  Cham  plain's  attack  in  1G09.  That  the  Mohawks  had 
not  been  settled  in  the  Mohawk  valley  for  a  very  long  period  is, 
I  think,  proved  by  the  few  sites  of  prehistoric  villages  that  are 
found.  There  are  only  two  with  which  I  am  acquainted.  It  is 
probable  that  there  is  one  more,  unknown,  for  in  the  after  years 
they  always  had  at  the  same  time  three  villages  to  correspond  to 
their  three  principal  clans,  the  Tortoise,  the  Bear,  and  the 
Wolf.  And  as  it  was  their  custom  to  occupy  a  site  only  as  long 
as  the  palisades  lasted,  and  the  supply  of  wood  was  abundant,  it 
is  evident  that  the  two  old  sites  could  have  been  occupied  only 
for  twenty-five  or  thirty  years,  and  as  all  of  the  many  other  sites 
of  their  villages  in  the  valley  come  within  the  historic  period — 
as  proved  by  the  white  traders'  wares  found  on  them — it  is  evi- 
dent that  they  could  not  have  occupied  the  valley  very  long  in 
the  prehistoric  period.* 

If  they  had  been  here  for  hundreds  of  years,  or  a  thousand,  the 
sites  of  their  old  villages  wouid  be  very  abundant;  as  tliere  are 


♦Since  this  paper  was  written  two  other  prehistoric  sites  have  been  found 
and  examined;  and  from  the  similarity  of  the  relics  in  all  of  these  sites  it  is 
evident  that  they  were  occupied  at  the  same  time. 

The  first  of  these  newly  discovered  sites  is  on  the  bank  of  the  Cayadutla 
creek,  which  enters  the  Mohawk  at  Fonda. 

The  second  is  similar  in  all  respects  to  the  other  three,  and  is  on  the  bank  of 
a  stream  which  is  also  an  affluent  of  the  Mohawk.  They  are  both  only  a  few 
miles  from  "Qaroga." 


I 

i 


u 


ONEIhA    HISTORICAL    HOCIKTY. 


only  two,  it  points  very  strongly  to  a  short  occupation.  If  thev 
were  the  refugees  fleeing  from  the  ruined  llochelag.i,  they  wciv 
a  remnant  who  sought  to  hide  themselves  from  the  fury  of  their 
AlgoiKjuin  enemies;  and  thus  we  lind  that  these  two  old  villages 
were  not  on  the  river  where  they  could  easily  be  reached,  but  fai- 
back  in  the  dense  forests,  and  upon  the  highest  and  most  inac- 
cessible points  that  could  be  found.  They  are  both  upon  thf 
banks  of  streams  that  are  allhients  of  the  Mohawk.  'J^he  most 
western  one  is  on  the  Otstungo,  a  branch  of  the  creek  that  enters 
the  Mohawk  at  Fort  Plain.  This  village  site  was  described  and 
illustrated  by  Squire  and  Davis  in  their  '«  Ancient  Monuments  of 
the  State  of  New  York,"  one  of  the  publications  of  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution. 

S(iuire  says  it  was  the  work  of  the  "  Mound  Huilders,"  that 
convenient  and  mythical  people  who  preceded  the  Indians,  and 
knew  a  great  deal  more  than  they  did.  Then  he  says  that  iron 
axes  and  gun  barrels  have  been  found  on  the  site  of  this  Mound 
Builders  town.  It  is  not  necessary  to  cont'overt  Squire's  ac- 
count, his  own  statements  overthrow  his  theory.  A  little  dig- 
ging in  the  refuse  heaps  along  the  steep  banks  would  have  proved 
that  the  place  was  absolutely  Mohawk,  and  prehistoiic. 

The  other  town  site  is  on  the  bank  of  the  (hiroga  creek,  about 
ten  miles  from  where  it  empties  into  tiie  river,  and  as  this  one 
has  never  had  the  honor  to  be  investigated  and  described 
I  will  give  some  account  of  my  own  investigations  at  the 
place,  especially  as  the  archaeological  evidence  is  of  importance, 
as  bearing  upon  the  origin  not  only,  but  the  manners,  customs, 
industries,  and  after  migrations  of  the  Mohawks. 

For  convenience  we  will  call  ihe  old  village  "  Garoga."  It  is 
a  rough  and  rugged  section  of  country  where  the  old  glaciers 
have  scattered  bowlders  in  countless  numbers,  and  where  hillg 
and  great  banks  of  sand  and  gravel  show  the  tumultuous  action 
of  currents,  and  swirling  eddies  of  water. 

The  hill  on  which  the  town  was  built  is  very  steep  on  all  sideg 
but  one.  The  banks  rise  at  a  sharp  angle  for  one  hundred  and 
fifty  or  two  hundred  feet,  but  the  top  of  the  hill  is  level  and 
contains  several  acres  of  land.  Palisades,  similar  to  those  of 
Ilochelaga,  undoubtedly  protected  the  town.  The  Iroquois  and 
cognate  tribes  alone  built  these  defensive  structures.     We  have 


TIIK    MOIIVWKS. 


15 


ccupation.  If  they 
aclicltig.i,  they  weii' 
m  the  fury  of  their 
lese  two  oUl  vilhiges 

be  reacheu,  but  fin- 
est and  most  inac- 

are  both  upon  the 
lohuwk.  'J,'lie  most 
Llie  creek  tluit  enters 
)  was  described  anil 
icient  Monuments  of 
Aons  of  the  Smith- 

ind  Huikicrs,''  that 
id  the  Indians,  and 
n  he  says  tliat  iron 
site  of  this  Mound 
t'overt  S'luire's  ac- 
eory.  A  little  dig- 
:s  would  have  proved 
prehistoiic. 
[iaroga  creek,  about 
rer,  and  as  this  one 
;ated  and  described 
vestigations  at  the 
)e  is  of  importance, 
3  manners,  customs, 
wks. 

e  *'  Garoga."  It  is 
ere  the  old  glaciers 
3rs,  and  where  hills 
5  tumultuous  action 

;ry  steep  on  all  sideg 
9r  one  hundred  and 
the  hill  is  level  and 
similar  to  thoEe  of 
.  The  Iroquois  and 
bructures.     We  have 


minute  descriptions  of  them  in  the  Jesuit  Relations,  and  other  old 
writers.     Sometimes  there  were  as  many  as  live  concentric  rows 
of  palisades,  the  highest  being  thirty  feet.     Inside  of  this  tnere 
was  a  row  about  six  feet  shorter,  and  these  two  rows  were  con- 
nected by  a  platform  upon  which  the  defenders  of  the  town  cou  d 
vtaud,  and  upon  which  there  were  piles  of  stones,  and  also  tanks 
of  bark  for  holding  water.     In  case  the  enemy  succeeded  m 
Htarting  a  fire  the  whole  place  could  be  deluged      This  pr.m.- 
tive  and  prehistoric  water  works  and  lire  brigade  was  of  the 
utmost  Importance,  for  in  attacking  these  wooden  defences,  l.re 
was  the  most  elricacious  weapon,  and  one  which  was  dreaded  more 
than  all  others.     The  danger  was  great  at  all  times  from  the 
great  mass  of  palisades;  the  piles  of  wood  for  fuel,  and  the  ex- 
tensive  long  houses  of  bark  and  polos. 

Such  a  fortification  could  not  be  built  without  great  labor; 
especially  was  it  dillicult  for  a  people  absolutely  in  their  stone 

'^Inthe  defences  of  "Garoga"  they  must  have  used  several 
thousand  trees.  To  cut  down  a  tree  is  a  simple  matter  with  a 
steel  axe,  but  the  way  these  savage  men  did  it  was  s  ow  and 
tedious  They  first  built  a  fire  around  the  tree,  and  as  the  wood 
charred  they  hacked  it  with  their  stone  axes,  then  they  cut  the 
logs  the  required  length  by  the  same  process  of  bnrning  and 
hacking,  afterwards  the  palisad-,..  so  formed  had  to  be  dragged 
or  carried  to  their  place,  the  holes  dug;  then  elevated  and 
securely  fastened.  To  dig  such  a  vast  number  of  holes  too  was 
a  great  labor,  for  they  had  no  hoes,  or  spades,  or  shove  Is, 
nothing  but  sharpened  sticks,  the  shells  of  the  tortoise  and  the 
fresh  water  clam  and  their  hands.  .      4.^ 

As  we  reflect  upon  this  great  work,  our  admiration  for  the 
savage  man  increases,  and  onr  inherited  and  traditional  ideas 
about  his  laziness  suffer  a  change.  His  environment  was  hard, 
and  if  he  survived  at  all  he  could  not  be  lazy. 

Within  this  palisaded  enclosure  were  the  "Long  Houses, 
peculiar  to  the  Iroquois.    Some  of  them  one  huiidred  feet  long, 
but  the  largest  over  five  hundred  feet.     They  called  themselves 
"the  People  of  the  Long  House."     The  Mohawks  guarding  its 
eastern  door  and  the  Senecas  its  western.  ,  „    ,    , 

The  description  already  given  of  these  houses  at  Hochelaga, 


16 


UNEID.V    IIIHTORICAI.   SOCIETY. 


will  apply  to  thorn  all  in  tlio  Molmwk  Viilloy;  their  position  at 
"(Jiiroga"  oan  bo  traced  even  at  this  lato  day,  by  the  dark 
earth,  tiie  burned  stones,  the  clam  shells,  and  fragments  of  bone 
and  pottery. 

In  all  these  commnnal  honscs,  and  everywhere  within  the 
palisades  there  was  of  conrse  a  constant  accnmulation  of  ashes, 
bones  and  debris  of  all  kinds,  and  although  savagew  have  little 
idea  of  neatness  or  of  decency,  still  these  accumulations  had  to 
be  removed,  and  as  this  was  done  from  time  to  time,  they  were 
carried  out  and  thrown  down  the  steep  banks  outside  the 
palisades.  Naturally  where  there  was  so  much  refuse  many 
implements  and  weapons  would  be  lost  and  carried  out  with  the 

rest. 

In  the  course  of  years  these  banks  of  refuse  accumulated  to 
an  enormous  extent,  and  they  resemble  vei-y  closely  the  same 
class  of  remains  found  in  many  other  countries,  and  which  in 
Denmark  have  been  called  by  the  archajologists  "  Kjokenmod- 
d.ags,"  kitchen  middens. 

These  refuse  heaps  are  prolitice  sources  of  information  in 
regard  to  the  people  who  lived  at  Garoga.  The  rains  and  winds 
of  ages,  and  nature's  chemistry  have  sweetened  them,  and  wo 
need  not  fear  to  dig  among  this  dust  of  the  past.  Perhaps  it 
would  not  add  to  our  comfort  to  retlect  upon  what  they  once 

were. 

When  the  place  was  occupied,  no  woods  or  trees  were  allowed 
to  grow  near  at  hand,  the  town  stood  bristling  with  its  palisades 
on  the  "crown  of  this  difficult  hill,"  and  no  enemy  could 
approach  without  being  seen.  Now  the  steep  banks  are  covered 
with  a  heavy  forest,  and  it  is  no  easy  task  to  open  the  refuse 
heaps  among  the  tangled  mass  of  roots.  But  the  hard  work  is 
forgotten  in  the  fascination  of  the  quest. 

We  dig  a  trench  as  near  as  we  can  about  twenty  or  thirt;  feet 
from  the  top  of  the  bank.  The  earth  is  black  and  filled  with 
charcoal,  ashes  and  innumerable  Unio  shells,  which  are  usually 
of  the  one  species,  "Unio  Complanatus,"  and  identical  with 
those  found  at  the  present  day  in  the  Mohawk  and  its 
tributaries. 

As  we  go  deeper  into  the  bed  of  ashes,  we  begin  to  find  frag- 
ments of  that  archaic  pottery,  which  is  peculiarly  Mohawk.    It 


TIIK    MOIIAWKrt. 


17 


their  poaition  iit 
(lay,  by  tho  ilurk 
'ragmen  ts  of  bone 

vhero  within  tho 
luhitiDn  of  ashes, 
ivagCM  have  little 
mulationa  had  to 
0  time,  they  were 
inks  outside  tho 
nch  refuse  many 
ried  out  with  the 

je  accumulated  to 
'  closely  the  same 
■ies,  and  which  in 
its  "  Kjokenmod- 

if  information  in 
le  rains  and  winds 
lied  them,  and  wo 
past.  Perhaps  it 
ft  what  they  once 

trees  were  allowed 
;  with  its  palisades 

no  enemy  could 
banks  are  covered 
9  open  tho  refuse 

the  hard  work  is 

enty  or  thirt "  feet 
jk  and  filled  with 
which  are  usually 
nd  identical  with 
Mohawk  and    its 

egin  to  find  frag- 
arly  Mohawk.    It 


is  "  sui  generis,"  and  is  one  of  the  principal  linka  that  connect 
into  one  continuous  whole  tho  long  lino  of  Mohawk  village  mteH. 
and  not  only  so,   but  that  connects  these  sitoH  ..nmistakably 
with  Cartior's  viUago  of  Hochelaga;  for  in   tho  museum  of  the 
Mcdill  University  can  bo  seen  many  fnigmonts  of  pottery,  dug 
up  on  the  site  of  Hochelaga  which  are  identical  :n  matorial, 
oolor,  form  and  decoration  to  this  Mohawk  pottery  which  wc  l.nd 
80  abundantly  in  tho  refuse  heaps  of  (Jaroga,  and  in  all  other 
Mohawk  village  sites.     Although  no  whole  jars  are  over  found, 
tiie  fragments  are  often  large  enough  for  us  to  determine  the 
ahapo  and  size,  and  to  see  that  it  was  all  made  without  tho  use  of 
tho  potter's  wheel.     Tht     wore  of  all  sizes,  from  tho  tiny  toy 
made  for  tho  children  to  tho  great  jar,  solid  and  heavy   that 
would  hold  several  gallons.     At  (laroga  the  pits  from  whicii  the 
clay  was  taken  can  bo  plainly  soon.     Tlie  whole  work  was  done 
by  tho  squaws.     It  was  worked  into  tho  proper  consistency  and 
mixed  with  pounded  shells,  or  some  kind  of  granite  rock,  to  pre- 
vent  cracking  during  the  firing.     All  tho  jars  wore  round  on  the 
bottom,  as  they  were  to  stand  upon  the  ground  or  in  the  ashes; 
and  they  had  a  Haring  rim  so  that  they  could  be  suspended  by  a 
cord  if  necessary.    Tlio  decoration  was  invariably  certain  con- 
ventionalized patterns  of  incised  straight  lines,  but  so   varied 
that  no  two  jars  are  over  precisely  alike;  there  is  a  striking  re- 
semblance, but  great  variety,  and  they  never  advanced  from  tho 
straight  line  in  their  decoration.     Not  a  curve  is  ever  seen. 
The  only  departure  from  this  general  uniformity  is  where  tho  jar 
was  made  in  a  basket,  in  which  case  the  imprint  of  the  crossed 
meshes  can  bo  seen;  or  where,  in  very  rare  instances,  the  human 
figure  was  used  as  a  decoration. 

As  the  digging  proceeds  wo  find  the  bones  of  many  wild  animals 
and  birds,  nearly  all  of  them  broken  so  that  the  marrow  could  be 
extracted.  The  comparoLivo  anatomist  of  the  Smithsonian  In- 
stitution has  reconstructed  for  me  the  fauna  of  Garoga,  so  that 
now  we  know  pretty  well  what  wild  animals  roamed  the  woods  of 
the  Mohawk  valley  in  the  prehistoric  days.  But  we  also  find 
many  bone  implements,  such  as  harpoons,  -naments,  awls  and 
needles,  and  many  the  use  of  which  we  can  only  conjecture. 
The  piercing  implements  are  the  most  abundant;  these  were 
used  for  making  their  buck  skin  garments,  and  many  of  them 


18 


ONKIDA    IIISTOHIiAI.    HOllKTY, 


iiro  US  smontli  imd  Imnl  uikI  §lmrp  iih  tlicy  wore  wlien  llrst  niii.le. 
They  me  iiHUiiUy  of  tlio  tihia  of  tlio  (Uht,  a  very  cIoho  iiml  luucl 
l.ono  imioh  like  ivory  in  its  tcxturo.  Wo  find  specimons  <»f  wliiit 
nmy  bo  cullotl  the  jowolry  of  tho  ludiiuiH,  aii.l  it  sIiowh  liow  innate 
is  the  lovdof  on\ani('iit  in  all  mankind;  these  thin,-j;H  at  (ian.gi; 
lire  gont'mlly  oxoeedinsly  rude;  around  piece  of  turtle  dhcU;  a 
pie(!0  of  a  deer's  jaw  with  tho  teeth  still  in  place,  the  canine 
tet'tli  of  the  bear;  the  cutting  teeth  of  tiie  l)eavor;  and  necklace 
hones  made  either  of  tho  tarsus  and  metatarsus  of  tho  deer,  or  of 
human  piiah»nj,'08.  All  these  are  perforated  for  guspensiou,  and 
many  of  tlio  latter  are  elaliorat  dy  smoothed  and  worked. 

Stone  implements  in  a  more  or  less  perfect  condition  are  «|nito 
common  either  in  the  beds  of  ashes  or  scattered  on  tlie  surface  of 
the  Held  where  the  village  stood.  'I'ho  axes  are  all  of  the  kind 
known  as  celts.  No  grooved  axes  have  over  been  fonnd  at  (iaroga, 

The  arrow  heads  are  commonly  of  one  typo,  what  have  been 
called  "war  arrows,"  made  with  barbs,  so  that  it  would  remain 
in  the  wound  when  the  shaft  was  withdrawn.  There  aro  also 
gpoar  heads  and  scrapers,  drills  and  knives,  usually  made  of  tho 
mineral  called  chert  or  hornstoue,  and  similar  to  those  found 
among  all  eavage  men. 

That  tho  dwellers  in  Uaroga  had  considerable  artistic  sense  is 
shown  in  their  fictile  wares,  in  various  carvings  of  bone,  and 
more  especially  in  their  pipec,  which  are  usually  of  clay  molded 
in  the  form  of  various  animals,  and  of  the  human  face. 

The  chief  interest  that  attaches  to  these  relics— as  far  as  the 
present  paper  is  concerned— is  that  they  connect  Oaroga  back- 
ward to  llochelaga  and  forward  to  the  Mohawks  in  all  tho  sub- 
sequent periods  of  their  history,  as  long  as  they  remained  in  the 

Mohawk  valley. 

At  llochelaga  and  at  Garoga  the  same  pottery  and  pipes,  the 
same  bono  implements  and  arrow  heads,  identical  in  shape  and 
material,  and  suggesting  strongly  the  same  savage  people.  And 
as  we  follow  the  tribe  in  its  migrations  from  one  village  to 
another,  we  shall  notice  the  same  similarity,  only  that  there  will 
be  a  gradual  change  as  the  white  man's  wares  increased  more 
and  more  in  variety  and  quantity,  and  as  the  savage,  unable  to 
understand  the  now  and  higher  civilization  so  suddenly  thrust 
upon  him,  assimilated  all  of  the  vices  and  but  few  of  the  virtues 


Till'.    MlHIAV.KH. 


19 


wlien  llrst  inside, 
y  (iloHO  1111(1  liiirJ 
ilieoiinons  of  wliiit 
hIiowh  liow  iuniito 
Uiiii,i,'H  iiL  (iiinigii 
of  turtU*  dlioU;  a 
pliice.  the  ciiiiino 
vor;  iind  iieckliico 
of  tlio  (leer,  or  of 
r  BuapeiiHiou,  and 
1  worked, 
audition  are  <|uito 
[  on  tlie  Burfiice  of 
0  all  of  the  kind 
found  at  (iarof^a, 
,  what  have  liccn 
t  it  would  remain 
,  'IMioro  are  also 
ually  made  of  the 
r  to  thoBO  found 

0  artistic  sense  is 
ngs  of  bone,  and 
ily  of  clay  molded 
nan  face. 

cs — as  far  as  the 
ect  Oaroga  back- 
cs  in  all  the  sub- 
ly  remained  in  the 

3ry  and  pipes,  the 
ical  in  shape  and 
?age  people.  And 
im  one  village  to 
nly  that  there  will 
es  in.crea8ed  more 

savage,  unable  to 
0  suddenly  thrust 

few  of  the  virtues 


of  the  white   man,  and  so  hipHM    fn.ni  u  .tale  in  whi.h  he  was 
Hbundaiitly  ublc  to  take  oaro  of  hiuiHelt  to  a  ntato  of  dependence 

and  weakness.  ,  ,  ,...,        - 

After  (Miamphiin'H  battle  with  the  Mohawks  we  liear  little  o 
them  for  H.nne  time.  He  was  untiring  in  bin  exploiat-m  and 
beaded  one  .arlike  expedition  into  the  country  of  tlio  \  estorn 
Irociuois.  Thu.  is  principally  interesting  in  this  c.mnect.on,  as 
ho  gives  a  ruuc  drawing  of  an  Indian  town  with  palisades 
def(Mices  and  long  houses,  similar  to  those  of  llochelaga  and 

^"ln"l<V^(;  New  Franco  «aw  for  the  llrst  time  those  devoted 
followers  of  l.ovala,  the  Jesuits,  who  were  to  liU  surl,  an 
important  place,"  and  upon  whom  we  look  with  aH.,.UBl.ment 
and  admiration.  Men  who  cared  for  nothing  but  to  save  souls, 
and  who  ever  coveted  the  crown  of  the  martyr. 

Their  history  is  closely  interwoven  with  the  earliest  recM-dod 
events  of  the  Mohawk  Valley.  It  is  a  chapter  written  in  blood 
und  lire,  but  the  i.erusal  of  which  will  enable  us  more  truly  to 
understand  the  perils  and  dangers  to  which  our  revolutionary 
ancestors  were  exposed  long  afterwards. 

The  Mohawks  had  in  the  mean  time  grown  strong,  isolated 
by  distance  and  a  vast  wilderness  from  their  enemies,  safe  m 
palisaded  fastnesses,  they  had  increased  in  numbers  and  had 
perfected  that  wonderful  league  which  ma-^e  them  by  far  he 
most  powerful,  as  they  were  by  nature  the  most  inte  lectual,  the 
most  ferocious  and  the  bravest  of  all  the  Indian  tribes  so  that 
at  this  time  they  began  to  be  a  constant  terror  to  all  he  weak 
outlying  colonies  of  New  France.  From  their  situation,  not 
only  but  an  account  of  the  old  hatred  that  they  had  for  the 
French  and  their  Algonquin  allies,  the  Mohawks  were  the  mo.t 
dreaded  of  the  Five  Nations,  and  as  the  eldest  brother  of  the 
Confederacy  they  could  at  anytime  exert  their  inlluence  to 
induce  the  Oneidas,  the  Onondagas.  the  Cayugas  and  the 
Senecas  to  send  their  combined  forces  for  an  attack    upon 

^""Tht^Dutch  had  now,  following  in  the  lead  of  Hendrich 
Hudson,  come  into  the  land  and  possessed  it.  New  Amsterdam 
was  founded  and  soon  that  great  land  grabbing  mania  broke 
out    and  manors  like  principalities  were  carved  out  of  the 


so 


ONKtDA    MIMTOUICAI.    HOi'IKTV. 


Iiuliiin  torrirory:  tmdei-H  over  sliin-p  to  ufo  ii  Rood  thin),' wo ro 
alriMiily  HCoiiriiiK  the  whoiIh  fur  Ik'iivci-  nkiiiH,  iiiul  hotli  in  Now 
KiiiiK'o  iintl  Now  AniMtonliiiii,  iin  iidvoiitiintiiH  'nul  licoiiHo  loving 
riico  of  youn«  nion  lillp<l  Hio  forentu  with  tho  nr)tij(8  of  I'rovonco 
Hud  the  H|)oooli  of  llollimd. 

TliOHO  CourenrH  iIom  Hoig  of  tlio  Kroncli,  iind  tlu-so  Moh 
liooporsof  tlio  |)nt(!h  woro  innnorH  of  tlio  woodw  tliiit  oiirried 
fur  into  tlio  Indiiin  oountry  tho  iininniginod  wciilth  of  tho  white 
man,  for  which  tho  Himplo  niitivoH  wonhl  hiirtor  thoir  coBtlioBt 
fnrH,  whilo  they  hud  u  fiiHciniition  of  numnorH  and  ii  bounty  of 
form  und  fuco  that  took  l»y  wtorin  tho  hoiirt*  of  all    tho  yonng 

HqnawH. 

It  wuH  probably  abont  this  time,  whon  tho  Dutch  woro  seutinR 
thcniHolvoH  Bocnroly  all  along  tho  IIudHon  und  tho  Kronch  wore 
colonizing  Canada,  tinit  tho  Moiiawks  having  grown  strong,  and 
long  rosidonco  had  weukenod  thoir  old  puliBudod  townH,  and 
caused  a  scarcity  of  fuol,  tiiat  thoy  canio  out  of  thoir  prohistoric 
BCcluHion  and  boldly  built  thoir  villugos  immodiatoly  on  vho 
bunks  of  tho  rivor.  Thon  it  boiiarno  known  as  tlio  llivor  of  tho 
Maquas,  tho  River  of  tho  Mohawks. 

Hero  tho  Dutch  traders  found  tlum  and  began  immediately 
to  draw  awuy  from  Now  Krunco  all  tho  bouvor  skins  of  tho 
wilderness,  giving  in  exchungo  everything  that  could  make  glad 
tho  heart  of  savage  man.  To  take  the  place  of  their  rough 
beads  of  clay,  bone  and  stone,  thoee  wore  the  dazzling  beads 
of  Venice,  made  Hpocially  tiion  us  now  for  savages  all  over  tho 
world.  These  woro  of  all  sizes  and  patterns,  shining  with  all 
tho  colors  of  the  rainbow.  Tho  trader  had  copper  jiendants, 
chains  and  rings,  arm  bands  and  leg  bands  of  silver;  iron  axes 
made  at  Utrecht  specially  for  tho  Indian  trade,  stamped  with 
three  crosses.  These  have  been  found  by  hundreds  in  the  refuse 
of  the  villageb  of  this  period,  and  are  wide  spread  from  Maine 
to  California.  In  the  traders'  pack  were  jewsharps,  padlocks, 
keys,  hammers,  hoes,  files,  chisels,  white  clay  pipes  from 
England  und  Holland  whoreon  may  be  seen  the  makers'  name 
and  mark;  steels  and  English  flints,  mysterious  and  wonderful 
to  the  savage  accustomed  through  the  ages  to  make  tire  with  the 
revolving  drill.  Besides  these  wonderful  things  there  came  the 
white  man's  wampum,  turned  in  a  lathe  by  the  thrifty  burghers 


41 


m^ 


■HHNMMMIMiMK' 


[(nod  tiling'  woro 
li  hotli  ill  Now 
1(1  liceiui)  l(»vii\K 
ii^B  of  I'rovonco 

mill  ilu'HO  HoH 
)(1h  tliiit  I'lirrietl 
,1th  of  thu  wliito 
r  tlioir  costlieBt 
imtl  II  beiiiity  of 
f  till   the  young 

itch  wore  aeivtinp 
tho  Kii'iich  were 
own  strong,  ivnil 
(led  townH,  anil 
their  prehistoric 
lodiiitoly  on  vho 
tho  Kiver  of  tho 

gun  immediutely 
er  skins  of  tho 
could  inivko  gliid 
I  of  their  rough 
)  dazzling  beads 
ges  all  over  tho 
shining  with  all 
Boppor  jiendants, 
silver;  iron  axes 
le,  stamped  with 
reds  in  the  refuse 
ead  from  Maine 
sharps,  padlocks, 
day  pipes  from 
he  makers'  name 
s  and  wonderful 
nake  tire  with  tho 
s  there  came  the 
thrifty  burghers 


TIIK    MOIIAWKH. 


SI 


of  Allmny,  nmoth,  accuiato,  uniform,  three  purple  or  Hix  white 
for  one  penny,  or  much   more  than   this  c«|uivalent  in  bearer 

skins. 

Also  there  wore  all  kiiidn  of  precious  stulTs  in  this  wonderful 
j.ack:  Strouds  and  diillUes.  blankets  and  Indian  stockingH, 
reiiniston  siioes  and  belts  with  shining  bucklcH,  and  othorB 
whose  namcH  are  still  more  unfiimiliar  to  the  mochu'n  ear.  Also 
knives  and  m-iHsors,  awln  and  needles,  and  in  limited  numbers 
(hes  do  KlaiideiB  wares  and  Kiilham  jugs. 

All  these  things  camo  to  tho  Mohawk  when  he  was  blustering 
with  new  strength  and  swelling  with  pride,  and  tiiey  made  him 
still  stronger  and  more  ready  and  able  to  follow  his  favorite  way, 
tho  warpath.  Hut  there  were  three  other  things  that  the 
trader  brought  to  tho  Indian,  which  while  they  for  a  little  time 
added  to  his  power,  in  tho  end  proved  his  ruin— guns,  stool 
trap)  and  rum.  With  tho  steel  trap  ho  could  till  tho  long 
houses  of  his  village  witli  furs,  with  furs  ho  could  buy  guns, 
and  with  rum  added  to  his  natural  ferocity,  he  was  ready  for  all 
the  atrocities  that  could  enter  into  tho  imagination  to  concoivo. 
All  these  things  and  many  more  tho  Dutch  trader  brought  up 
tho  Mohawk  in  canoes,  made  as  tho  Mohawks  made  them  of  olm 
bark,  or  at  a  very  early  jioriod,  in  battoaus. 

Coming  thus  at  any  time  after  tho  little  settlement  of  Albany 
began,  lie  would  see  the  first  village  j^erchod  like  an  eagle's  nest 
on  the  crest  of  a  commanding  hill,  where  now  the  Jesuit  shrine 
of  "Our  Lady  of  Martyrs  "  marks  tho  spot  where  their  early 
brethren  sufTored  such  cruel  mockings  and  torture  and  death. 
This  was Osseruonon— of  the  French— tho  Assaruo of  tho  Dutch. 

Going  wojtward  a  few  leagues  tho  trader  would  come  to 
Audagoron,  tho  village  of  the  bear  clan;  and  still  further  up  the 
river,  on  a  high  and  sightly  elevation,  he  would  come  to  Teonon- 
logen,  tho  great  village  of  "the  turtle  clan,  looking  down  upon 
the  plain  where  now  lies  the  ([uiot  little  hamlet  of  SprakersHasin. 
All  palisaded,  all  swarming  with  savage  life  and  industries. 

From  these  far  away  strongholds,  bands  of  tlorco  warriors 
armed  with  guns  and  axes  and  scalping  knives,  as  well  as  with 
the  still  lingering  bow  and  arrow,  fared  forth  by  the  devious 
paths  of  tho  wilderness,  and  infested  all  Now  France,  from 
Montreal  to  Quebec.  Thoy  had  bided  their  time  in  patience,  and 
ji  ow  their  day  of  blood  had  come. 


22 


ONKIDA    IIISTOUICAL    SOCIETV. 


In  the  meantime  the  Jesuits  had  spread  far  out  into  the 
unknown  regions  of  the  west.  They  hatl  many  missions  among 
the  lluronson  the  Gectrgian  Bay;  they  had  penetrated  to  Detroit,  to 
Mackinaw,  to  tireen  Bay.  They  were  constantly  pushing  forward 
still  further  into  the  wilderness,  and  their  frail  canoes  skirted 
the  shores  of  Jiake  h?aperior  and  floated  on  the  Mississippi. 

On  the  2d  of  August,  16-12.  one  of  these  missionaries,  Isaac 
Jogues,  with  three  companions  and  a  hand  of  Ilurons,  were 
returning  from  Montreal  to  the  Huron  Country.  While  slowly 
following  the  shores  of  Lake  St.  Peter,  an  expansion  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  suddenly  from  out  the  rushes  rose  up  a  party  of 
Mohawks,  and  with  fearful  yells  and  the  report  of  g\in8  they 
started  in  pursuit.  They  soon  succeeded  in  capturing  the  party 
and  Jogues  and  the  three  other  Frenchmen,  were  beaten  and 
tortured  with  savage  ferocity.  The  savages  tore  out  their  nails 
with  their  teeth,  and  gnawed  their  fingers  like  dogs. 

Then  with  their  prisoners,  twenty-two  in  number,  they 
started  on  their  homewarc^  journey,  up  the  river  Richelieu  and 
Lake  Champlain,  then  by  the  way  of  Lake  George  to  the 
Mohawk. 

Through  all  the  weary  way  they  were  tortured  and  lacerated, 
beaten  and  burned,  bearing  heavy  burdens,  with  insufficient  food 
and  tormented  by  clouds  of  insects.  At  hi.8t,  after  thirteen  days, 
"they  reached  the  wretched  goal  of  their  pilgrimage,  a  palisaded 
town  standing  on  a  hill  by  the  banks  of  the  river  Mohawk. 

This  was  Osseruenon,  the  most  easterly  of  the  Mohawk  towns. 
Hero  they  were  received  with  blows  and  with  cruel  tortures  that 
at  last  ended  in  the  death  of  one  of  the  Frenchmen. 

The  story  in  detail  is  too  cruel  and  heartrending  to  repeat, 
the  lamentations,  the  burnings,  the  hunger  and  nakedness;  the 
necessity  of  viewing  so  much  wickedness;  the  filth' and  vermin 
which  surrounded  him  ;  the  constant  sight  of  burning 
prisoners,  put  to  death  with  all  the  extremes  of  torture;  the 
cannibal  feasts,  and  above  all  his  inability  to  do  anything  to 
save  the  souls  of  these  poor  children  of  the  devil;  all  this  to  the 
refined,  peaceful,  delicate,  pducated  Isaac  Jogues  was  torment 
and  torture  daily  and  hourly  repeated,  as  he  was  led  back  and 
forth  through  their  villages  for  the  space  of  a  whole  year. 

The  Jesuit  Relations  of  that  year  give  minute  details  of  all 


far  out  into  the 
y  missions  among 
■ated  to  Detroit,  to 
y  pushing  forward 
ail  canoes  skirted 
Mississippi, 
nissionaries,  Isaac 
of  llurons,  were 
•y.  While  slowly 
lansion  of  the  St. 
ise  np  a  party  of 
port  of  gxms  they 
pturing  the  party 
were  beaten  and 
)re  out  their  nails 
dogs. 

n  number,  they 
iver  Richelieu  and 
e  George   to  the 

•ed  and  lacerated, 
h  insutlicient  food 
fter  thirteen  days, 
■image,  a  palisaded 
ver  Mohawk, 
le  Mohawk  towns, 
iruel  tortures  that 
jhmen. 

rending  to  repeat, 
lid  nakedness;  the 

filth"  and  vermin 
ght  of  burning 
es  of  torture;  the 
0  do  anything  to 
ivil;  ail  this  to  the 
gues  was  torment 
vas  led  back  and 

whole  year. 

ute  details  of  all 


THE    MOII.VWKS. 


28 


that  happened,  and  much  that  is  of  interest  about  the  Mohawke 

and  of  their  life.  ,     ,  n 

The  story  is  a  long  one,  and  should  be  read  by  all  wlio  would 

realize  what  were  the  beginnings  of  our  history,  and  what  a 

ferocious  foe   our    lievolutionary  ancestors  had  at  their  very 

doors.  ,     ,     .       i. 

Jogues  made  his  escape  by  the  aid  of  the  Dutch,  but  return- 
ing again  to  "The  Mission  of  the  Martyrs,"  he  was  killed  »"  aQ 
was  entering  one  of  the  Long  Houses  by  one  blow  of  an  ax. 

The  raids  of  the  Mohawks  became  worse  and  worse.  In  IGoO 
they  were  at  the  height  of  their  power.  They  numbered  about 
nine  hundred  warriors,  of  whom  four  hundred  were  armed  with 
guns,  supplied  to  them  by  the  Dutch  of  Albany.  They  infested 
Canada;  no  one  was  safe  in  all  the  borders  of  New  France;  they 
killed  and  scalped,  tortured  and  burned,  and  led  away  captive 
scores  and  hundre.ls  to  be  p"t  to  death  in  their  towns  by  slow 
torture  in  all  ways  that  savage  ingenuity  could  invent. 

Tlie  Mohawk  Valley  was  a  pandemonium;  raging  with  an 
insane  love  of  blood  and  conquest,  they  not  only  brought  French 
civilization  nearlv  to  an  end,  but  they  hunted  their  ancient 
Algontiuin  enemies  far  into  the  frozen  north,  even  to  the  shores 
of  Hudson's  Bay,  and  then  they  turned  their  arms  against  then- 
own  kin  and  exterminated  with  relentless  cruelty  the  llurpns, 
the  Fries,  the  Neutral  Nation,  the  Tobacco  Nat'on,  and  even 
the  Illinois,  for  they  were  undaunted  by  distance,  or  cold,  or 

hunger. 

This  continued  from  the  time  of  Jogues  in  164^  until  1GG6. 

Then  the  French  sent  an  army  of  fifteen  hundred  men,  led  by 

De  Tracy,  through   the  ice  and   snow  of  the  wilderness,    and 

burned  their  towns,  and  utterly  destroyed  everything  pertaining 

to  the  Mohawks;  even  the  caches,  where  wa^  stored  their  corn, 

were  found,  and  thousands  of  bushels  were  burned . 

These  strange  aboriginal  magazines  or  storehouses  can  be 
seen  in  numbers  even  at  the  present  day.  Some  of  them  are  in 
the  dense  forests,  others  lie  in  the  open  fields.  They  are  looked 
upon  with  curiosity  by  the  country  people,  who  regard  them  as 
the  graves  of  the  Indians . 

These  caches  or  pits  are  always  in  groups  of  from  thirty  to 
sixty,  and  are— when  undisturbod  by  the  plow— from  three  to 


24 


ONKIDA    HISTORICAL   SOCIETY. 


iive  feet  deep,  and  from  six  to  eight  in  diameter,  shallow  exca- 
vations overgrown  with  trees  and  bushes.  There  are  many  of 
them  in  tlie  town  of  Palatine.  In  them  the  Indians  stored  their 
corn,  first  lining  them  with  bark,  and  when  tilled,  protecting 
them  with  conical  roofs  of  the  same  material.  The}  were 
always  in  some  secluded  place  some  distance  from  the  village. 
It  was  a  wonderful  instance  of  provident  care  in  a  savage  people, 
a  provision  against  catastrophe  and  misfortune,  against  drouth 
and  famine. 

The  French  were  astonished  when  they  came  to  view  these 
Mohawk  towns.  Profiting  by  observation  and  the  teaching  of 
the  Dutch  and  of  the  Jesuit  fathers,  they  had  <?reatly  strength- 
ened their  palisades  by  bastions,  and  in  some  instances  had 
replaced  their  long  houses  of  bark  by  substantial  log  houses  of 
squared  timber,  and  in  them  was  found  an  astonishing  variety 
and  (juantity  of  provisions  and  property  of  all  kinds,  tools  and 
utensils,  clothing  and  blankets,  brought  to  them  by  their  friends, 
the  Dutch. 

This  wholesale  destruction  wrought  by  De  Tracy  greatly 
weakened  the  Mohawks.  lTi)on  the  sites  of  these  towns  there 
have  been  found  great  numbers  of  relics.  When  Teonontogen 
was  cleared  and  plowed  for  the  first  time  a  wagon  load  of  trade 
axes  came  to  light,  and  here  in  the  refuse  heaps,  mingled  with 
the  white  traders'  wares,  are  many  fragments  of  that  distinctive 
Mohawk  pottery  that  we  have  seen  in  Ilochelaga  and  Garoga. 

They  continued  to  make  their  native  wares,  notwithstanding 
the  abundant  introduction  of  the  far  better  and  more  serviceable 
wares  of  the  white  man.  But  in  some  things  there  is  a  change, 
showing  the  use  of  iron  tools;  marks  of  knives,,  tnd  saws,  and 
files  can  be  seen  upon  the  bone  combs  and  needles,  and  there  is 
a  far  more  abundant  use  of  beads  and  wampum. 

After  the  destruction  of  these  towns  in  1666  they  again 
migrated  to  the  north  side  of  the  river.  Here  in  1677  they  were 
found  by  a  trader  named  Gieenhalgh,  who  thus  describes  their 
villages : 

"The  Maquas  have  four  towns,  viz.,  Cahaniaga,  Canagora, 
Canajorha,  Tionondogue,  besides  one  small  village  one  hundred 
and  ten  miles  fi'om  Albany. 

Cahaniaga  is  doubly  stockaded  round;  has  four  ports  about 


foi 
up 

th 

6t( 

po 
on 

fo 
a 


tl 
O 

oi 
k 
&] 
n 

e: 
a] 

h 

t! 
d 

s 

t 
f 
a 

f 

G 
] 

i 


ter,  shallow  exca- 
lere  iiro  many  of 
dians  stored  their 
tilled,  protecting 
ial .  The)  were 
'rom  the  village, 
n  a  savage  people, 
e,  against  drouth 

le  to  view  these 
[  the  teaching  of 
(greatly  strength- 
ne  instances  had 
ial  log  houses  of 
tonisliing  variety 
kinds,  tools  and 
n  by  their  friends, 

)e  Tracy  greatly 
hese  towns  there 
hen  Teonontogen 
jon  load  of  trade 
,ps,  mingled  with 
)f  that  distinctive 
ra  and  Garoga. 
,  notwithstanding 
d  more  serviceable 
there  is  a  change, 
es,,  tnd  saws,  and 
idles,  and  there  is 

1666  they  again 
in  1677  they  were 
as  describes  their 

miaga,  Oanagora, 
lage  one  hundred 

four  ports  about 


THE    MOHAWKS. 


26 


four  foot  wide  apiece,  conteyns  about  U  houses,  and  is  situate 
upon  the  edge  of  a  hill  about  a  bow  shot  from  the  river  side. 

Canagora  is  only  singly  stockaded  roiuid,  h»R  four  port,  like 
the  former,  conteyns  about  16  houses;  itt  is  situated  upon  a  fflat  a 
stone's  throw  from  ye  watev'a  side. 

Canajorha  is  also  singiy  stockaded,  and  the  like  number  of 
ports  and  (luantity  of  nouses  as  Canagora,  the  like  situation, 
only  about  two  miles  distant  from  the  water. 

Tionondogue  is  doubly  stockaded  around,  has  four  ports  four 
foot  wide  apiece,  contains  about  30  houses;  is  situated  on  a  hill 

a  bow  shot  from  the  river. 

*     *     The  Maquas  pass  in  all  for  about  300  fighting  men. 

Their  corn  grows  close  by  ye  river's  side."' 

The  sites  of  these  four  towns,  it  is  reasonably  certain,  lie  in 
the  towns  of  Mohawk  and  Palatine  in  Montgomery  county. 
On  them  we  find  the  same  great  beds  of  refuse,  the  same  proofs 
of  savage  occupation.  We  see  that  they  subsisted  on  the  same 
kind  of  food  as  had  their  ancestors.  Tiie  bones  of  the  wild 
animals  are  about  the  same.  There  were  bear  and  deer,  elk  and 
moose,  and  many  smaller  animals.  The  wild  turkey  was  not  yet 
extinct,  and  the  shells  of  Unios  are  just  as  abundant.  There  is 
also  much  of  the  same  kind  of  pottery  heretofore  described.  It 
is  decorated  in  tl'.e  same  way,  but  there  is  also  a  departure  from 
the  original  in  the  more  frequent  use  of  the  human  figuro  in 

decoration. 

The  bone  implements  show  a  marked  improve  inent,  for  they 
weremade  with  steel  tools.  The  harpoons  and  combs  are  fine 
specimens  of  savage  handicraft. 

But  there  is  also  mingled  with  these  native  wares  far  more  of 
those  things  brought  to  them  by  the  traders,  for  at  this  time  a 
fierce  rivalry  had  sprung  up  between  Albany  and  Schenectady, 
and  the  Indian  country  was  flooded  with  all  sorts  of  goods. 

The  Mohawks  were  in  their  decadence.  From  nine  hundred 
fighting  men  they  were  now  reduced  to  three  hundred,  Con- 
Btant  war  had  told  upon  them,  and  the  unlimitable  supply  of 
Dutch  rum  and  French  brandy  had  corrupted  and  demoralized 

them. 

The  protests  of  some  of  the  chiefs  against  this  traffic  is 
pathetic,  where  they  lament  the  debauching  of  their  people 


20 


ONEIDA    IIIHTOKKAI,    SOCIETY. 


from  tliisciiHKo.  But  it  could  not  be  stopped,  for  both  France 
iind  En^'liind  were  reiichinfi;  out  far  into  the  wildernces  for  the 
fur  trade,  and  tliero  was  no  currency  go  powerful  as  rum  and 
brandy. 

Later  on  the  (iovornor  General  of  Canada  i)rotested  to  the 
Governor  of  New  York  against  the  tralHo,  but  Donjran  replied 
that  ho  could  not  see  that  Dntch  rum  was  any  worse  than  French 
brandy. 

It  seems  i)robable  that  from  thip  cause  and  their  constant 
wars  they  would  soon  have  become  extinct  if  it  had  not  been 
for  their  custom  of  adopting  jirisoners  into  their  tribe  to  take 
the  place  of  those  who  were  killed  in  battle.  In  this  way  they 
kept  up  their  number,  bnt  became  a  mongrel  nation.  There 
were  Andastes,  Huron s,  Eries,  men  from  the  Neutral  Nation, 
Illinois,  and  many  others  brought  in  by  those  far  reaching  raids 
that  extended  from  Hudson  lUy  to  the  Carolinas. 

Another  thing  shows  their  increasing  weakness,  or  perhaps  as 
well  tlie  decreasing  necessity  for  defensive  structures.  Instead 
of  four  or  five  rows  of  palisades  there  were  now  but  two,  and  in 
some  cases  but  one. 

But  still  our  valley  was  but  a  wilderness.  The  trader  going  to 
the  Indian  country  from  Albany,  or  from  the  hamlet  of  Schenec- 
tady, plunged  at  once  into  the  woods.  No  white  man  was  there. 
No  grants  of  land  had  yet.  been  made.  The  Mohawk  was  on  his 
native  heath,  the  monarch  of  all  he  surveyed.  lie  was  at  peace 
with  his  Dutch  neighbors,  and  often  sent  deputations  to  trade 
or  to  talk.  With  the  rest  of  the  world  he  was  at  war,  especially 
with  the  French  of  Canada.  After  De  Tracy's  expedition  there 
was  a  reasonable  state  of  peace  for  nearly  twenty  years,  and  they 
even  begged  humbly  that  the  1^'rench  would  send  blacksmiths, 
surgeons  and  Jesuits  among  them. 

In  answer  to  this  request  the  Mission  of  the  Martyrs  was 
again  established,  and  Fr^min  and  Pniron  were  sent  to  the 
Mohawks. 

It  is  due  to  their  ministrations  that  we  have  at  least  one  Saint 
in  the  Mohawk  Valley.  This  is  the  Iroquois  maiden, 
Te-gah-ko-wita,  known  as  St.  Catharine,  the  Lily  of  the 
Mohawks. 

She  was  born  in  one  of  the  Mohawk  villages  in  1656,  and 


for  both  Franco 
ildernees  for  the 
rful  us  rum  and 

])rote8ted  to  the 

Donfran   replied 

orse  than  French 

d  their  constant 
it  had  not  been 
sir  tribe  to  take 
n  this  way  they 
I  nation.  Tliere 
Neutral  Nation, 
ar  reaching  raids 

IS. 

88,  or  perliaps  as 

ictures.     Instead 

but  two,  and  in 

le  trader  going  to 
imlet  of  Schenec- 
;e  man  was  there. 
)hawl<  was  on  his 

lie  was  at  peace 
itations  to  trade 
it  war,  especially 

expedition  there 
y  years,  and  they 
;end  blacltsmiths, 

the  Martyrs  was 
vere  sent  to  the 

at  least  one  Saint 
roquois  maiden, 
lie    Lily  of    the 

ges  in  1656,  and 


THE   MOHAWKS. 


27 


obtained  such  a  reputation  for  sanctity  that  both  the  Indian 
and  French  came  from  great  distances  to  pray  at  her  tomo,  and 
many  by  her  intercessions  were  cured  of  their  maladies.  Among 
the;-est  was  the  famed  DuLuth  that  invincible  and  unt.ring 
Coureur  dc  bois,  who  more  than  any  other  exemplified  the  daring 
and  license  of  these  Kunncrs  of  the  Woods. 

lie  certilies,  that  having  said  one  Novena  in  honor  of  M. 
Catharine  he  was  entirely  cured  of  the  gout  with  which  he  had 
been  aillicted  for  many  years. 

But  now  the  17th  century  was  drawing  to  its  close,  nie 
Jesuit  Missions  among  the  Mohawks,  and  the  other  tribes  of  the 
Five  Nations  had  upon  the  whole  been  a  failure.  It  is  true  that 
the  teaching  and  example  of  these  fe.irless  and  sincere  men  had 
hud  some  elTect  upon  the  Indians,  in  showing  them  at  least  that 
there  was  a  higher  life,  and  that  civilization  was  better  than 
barbarism.  A  few  Mohawks  listened  and  went  away  to  Canada, 
settling  in  a  village  near  Montreal,  and  thereafter  they  were 
known  as  the  "praying  Indians." 

For  a  while  the  Jesuits  also  used  their  inlluenco  politica  y  to 
the  advantage  of  New  France,  but  they  were  unable  hnally  to 
control  the  Indians  of  their  missions,  and  after  twenty  years  of 
fear  and  Jesuit  occupation,  the  Mohawks  were  again  upon  the 
war  path,  burning  and  scalping  and  leading  away  captive  many 
a  luckless  Frenchman  from  the  weak  settlements  of  Montreal, 
Three  Rivers  and  Quebec. 

Thus  the  Jesuit  Missions  came  to  an  end,  and  the  Mohawks 
soon  forgot  all  their  teachings.  And  now  there  is  "othing  to 
tell  us  of  this  episode  in  our  early  history,  but  the  record  of  their 
soiourn,  the  narrative  written  by  their  own  hand,  the  defaced 
and  yellow  pages  of  the  "Jesuit  Kelations"  written  with 
lacerated  lingers,  in  the  smoke  and  din,  and  discomfort  of  their 

Mohawk  lodges.  .  „     .        v  x- 

As  reminders  of  those  old  days  that  are  full  of  realistic 
interest,  we  also  find  in  the  refuse  heaps  of  the  villages  and 
in  the  graves  of  the  dead  sundry  medals  and  crosses,  rosaries 
and  rings,  to  remind  us  that  Christ  was  preached  to  the 
Mohawks  ag  early  in  our  history  as  1642. 

The  medals  are  usually  about  the  size  of  a  dime,   made  for 
suspension,  and  have  upon  them  various  devices;  the  figure  ol 


28 


ONEIDA    IIISTORICAI,   SOCIETY. 


|. 


the  Virgin  or  of  some  Saint,  with  iin  invocation  or  legend  in 
French  or  Latin  around  the  edge,  and  upon  the  reverse  various 
symbols,  crosses,  stars,  the  i)ierced  heart  and  the  crown  of 
thorns.  The  crosses  have  similar  devices,  and  the  rings  have 
the  letters  I.  H.  S.  or  I.  N.  R.  I.  upon  them. 

But  the  Indian  could  not  resist  the  oncoming  flood  that  in 
ever  increasing  volume  came  to  the  Now  World.  Kin^s  and 
governments,  with  insane  blindness,  drove  out  tlie  best  and 
most  useful  of  their  populations,  and  English  Puritan  and 
French  Huguenot,  and  Swiss,  and  Dutch,  and  German,  crowded 
all  the  ships  as  "  westward  ho  "  was  the  cry.  Of  this  oncoming 
flood  thousands  strengthened  New  France,  thousands  New 
England,  thousands  the  Southern  Coasts,  while  a  mixed  multi- 
tude of  English  and  Dutch  and  Huguenot  began  to  lay  broad 
and  deep  the  foundations  of  our  own  State  of  New  York. 

In  the  closing  decades  of  the  century  Canada  was  being 
parcelled  out  into  great  Seignories,  and  New  York,  from  New 
Amsterdam  to  Albany  into  great  Manors,  but  our  valley  was 
not  yet  invaded  by  these  lordly  usurpers  of  the  Indians'  rights. 

In  1690  Schenectady  was  a  small,  poor  village,  occupied  by 
Dutch  traders,  peasants  and  farmers,  with  a  mingling  of  squaws 
and  half  breed  children. 

The  little  town  was  protected  by  a  palisade,  but  they  left  the 
gates  open,  as  they  did  not  fear  their  neighbors  and  kinsfolk 
the  Mohawks,  and  Canada  was  far  away,  and  it  was  winter 
time. 

But  the  French  and  Algonquins  and  the  "Praying  Indians" 
came  down  as  is  well  known  and  burned  the  town,  and  killed 
and  carried  away  captive  all  who  did  not  escape  to  Albany. 

Then  the  burghers  from  that  town  and  the  Mohawks  from 
the  wilderness,  led  by  Col.  Peter  Schuyler  the  Mayor,  or 
"  Quider,"  as  they  called  him,  went  in  pursuit  through  the  snows 
of  winter.  All  of  which  is  well  known,  for  the  story  of  the 
•burning  of  Schenectady  has  often  been  told. 

One  incident  of  the  pursuit,  as  it  illustratea  the  innate 
savagery  of  the  Indian,  even  after  so  many  years  of  Jesuit 
instruction,  may  be  mentioned.  The  pursuing  party  were  illy 
supplied  with  provisions,  but  Col.  Schuyler  saw  that  around 
the  Mohawk  camp  flre  a  great  carousal  was  going  on,  and  the 


^ 


THK    MOHAWKS. 


29 


tion  or  legend  in 
lie  roveree  various 
lid  the  crown  of 
lid  the  rings  have 

ining  flood  that  in 
orld.  Kin^s  and 
out  tlie  best  and 
lish  Turitun  and 
German,  crowded 
Of  this  oncoming 
thousands  New 
ile  a  mixed  multi- 
»egan  to  lay  broad 
New  York. 
Janada  was  being 
r  York,  from  New 
it  our  \alley  was 
le  Indians'  rights, 
lage,  occupied  by 
lingling  of  squaws 

,  but  they  left  the 
301-8  and  kinsfolk 
nd  it  was  winter 

Praying  Indians  " 
town,  and  killed 
le  to  Albany, 
he  Mohawks  from 
r  the  Mayor,  or 
through  the  snows 
the  story  of  the 

tratea  the  innate 
y  years  of  Jesuit 
iig  party  were  illy 
saw  that  around 
^oiug  on,  and  the 


kettles  were  boiling  and  food  seemed  to  be  abundant,  Itut  w!icu 
there  was  ladled  out  and  offered  to  him  a  human  hand,  he  knew 
where  the  abundant  provision  came  from,  for  they  wore  cooking 
one  of  their  Algonquin  enemies  whom  they  had  killed. 

Two  years  before  the  burning  of  Schenectady,  in  1(!8K,  one 
man  had  gone  up  the  Mohawk  Valley  and  settled  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  Indian  country,  forty  miles  to  the  west.  Ile  wis  a 
Swiss  from  tl;o  Canton  of  Zurich,  and  as  far  as  is  known  was 
the  first  settler  of  the  Moliawk  Valley  west  of  Schenectady.  He 
and  his  family  were  always  on  friendly  terms  with  their  Indian 
neighbors  from  whom  he  had  bought  his  land,  spoke  the 
Mohawk  tongue,  and  suffered  no  molestation  of  jjcrson  or 
property  in  any  of  the  French  wars,  or  even  in  the  fierce  raids 
of  the  Revolution. 

It  is  probable  that  abmit  this  time,  in  some  of  the  years 
immediately  before  the  close  of  the  century  that  the  Mohawks 
left  their  villages  described  by  Greenhalgh  in  1077,  and  mad© 
their  final  migration  to  the  south  side  of  tlie  river  where  they 
continued  to  occupy  sites  until  they  left  their  native  valley  for 
Canada. 

There  is  some  obscurity  in  regard  to  the  location  of  some  of 
their  villages  at  this  time,  but  when  they  came  to  be  well  known 
to  the  whites  they  were  seated  at  three  points.  The  most 
western  of  these  was  the  Castle  of  the  Can-a-jo-har-ees,  which 
was  at  the  place  still  known  as  Indian  Castle,  the  first  station 
on  the  West  Shore  Railroad  east  of  Little  Falls.  This  was  the 
village  of  the  Bear  Clan  and  was  by  far  the  largest  and  most 
influential  of  the  three.  It  was  Brant's  homo  and  here  Sir 
William  Johnson  built  a  church,  which  is  stiil  standing  and  in 
use. 

The  second  village  was  the  "Castle  of  Taragorees,"  which  was 
on  the  hill  east  of  Fort  Plain,  known  now  as  Prospect  Hill,  but 
called  by  the  Indians  Tsi-dros-o-wen-gen. 

The  third  village,  which  was  known  as  the  Lower  Castle  of 
the  Mohawks,  was  at  Fort  Hunter,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Schoharie 
creek,  only  a  mile  east  of  the  old  town  of  Osseruenon,  where 
Jogues  was  ki.led. 

None  of  these  towns  was  palisaded,  for  the  necessity  for  such 
protection  was  fast  passing  away,  and  the  Indians  were  becoming 


30 


ONKIDA    lIlMIOKICAt,   HOCIKTV. 


more  and  more  dcmonilized,  loss  Holf-Kiistiiiniiig  ami  imloiioiulent 
and  wiTO  fast  ad(r,)ting  tlio  liahits  of  tlio  white  inau. 

They  were  still  hunters,  but  tlie  use  of  the  bow  had  nearly 
ceased,  and  they  doi)ondod  upon  the  white  man  for  guns.  There 
seems  to  have  bein  many  aninuils  still,  l)ut  the  beaver,  on  account 
of  iiersistent  trapping,  was  virtually  extinct. 

In  these  villages  they  seem  to  have  abandoned  the  use  of  the 
commniuil  J^ong  House,  and  had  adoi)ted  in  a  measure  the 
houses  of  the  white  settlers.  Hy  degrees  they  cumo  to  live  in 
log  houses,  and  even  framed  dwellings  were  not  unknown. 
They  still  made  in  ever  lessening  (luuntities  their  native  pottery, 
still  decorated  with  varied  arrangement  of  straight  lines  as  of 
old,  still  unglazed  and  round  on  the  bottom,  with  a  llaring  rim 
even  as  it  was  in  llociielaga  and  Oaroga. 

Stone  axes  and  arrow  heads,  knives,  and  drills,  and  scrapers, 
bone  implements  and  pipes  of  native  make  linally-  gave  i)lace 
entirely  to  those  brought  from  England  and  Holland,  while 
cotton  and  woolen  cloths,  blankets,  leggings  and  stockings  in  a 
great  measure  superceded  buckskin  and  the  furs  of  wild  animals. 
l?y  degrees  there  came  a  change,  too,  in  their  village  life.  As 
danger  from  sudden  attack  became  less,  they  seem  to  have  been 
more  given  to  wandering,  families  living  by  themselves  in  huts 
scattered  through  the  woods  by  the  sides  of  streams  and  lakes. 
They  wandered  about  in  bands,  became  basket  makers,  and 
haunted  the  white  settlements  as  these  increased,  ever  on  the 
lookout  for  strong  drink,  a  weakened,  discouraged  and  sullen 
race,  unable  to  understand  or  assimilate  a  civilization  brought  to 
them  so  suddenly. 

But  notwithstanding  all  this  the  Mohawks  retained  their 
ancient  tribal  customs,  they  had  their  councils,  their  feasts  and 
their  dances.  Their  chiefs  were  men  of  dignity,  sagacity  and 
ability.  They  had  not  forgotten  their  warlike  ways,  their  love 
of  danger,  of  conquest  and  of  blood,  and  so  they  were  by  no 
means  a  people  to  be  despised  or  slighted,  especially  as  th^  white 
settlers  began  to  find  their  way  in  large  numbers  into  the 
Mohawk  country,  and  they  all  looked  with  longing  and  covetous 
«ye8  upon  this  fair  land  of  hill  and  stream,  of  woodland  and  far 
reaching  plain,  that  was  the  heritage  of  the  Mohawk  nation. 
They  were  becoming  more  and  more  the  neighbors  of  the 


igiiml  imk'poiulent 
0  nuui. 

10  bow  liiul  iiciirly 
n  for  guns.  There 
beiiver.  on  iiccoiint 


iioil  the  U80  of  the 
in  11  measure  tlio 
3y  cumo  to  live  in 
3i'e  not  unknown. 
Iioir  niitivo  pottery, 
tnvight  lines  us  of 
with  a  Ihirlng  rim 

rills,  and  scrapers, 
tiually-  gave  j)lace 
lid  Holland,  while 
and  stockings  in  a 
urs  of  wild  animals, 
eir  village  life.  As 
^  seem  to  have  been 
themselves  in  huts 
streams  and  lakes, 
asket  makers,  and 
reased,  ever  on  the 
ju raged  and  tJuUen 
ilization  brought  to 

wks  retained  their 
ils,  their  feasts  and 
ignity,  sagacity  and 
ke  ways,  their  love 
so  they  were  by  no 
pecially  as  th^  white 
I  numbers  into  the 
mging  and  covetous 
of  woodland  and  far 
Mohawk  nation. 
16  neighbors  of  the 


TIIK    MOHAWKS. 


31 


white  man,  and  soon  it  was  diflioult  to  say  wliether  the  white 
man  lived  among  tiie  Indians,  or  the  Indians  among  the  whites. 
Considering  their  savagery,  their  antecedents  and  their  feroeity, 
it/vas'a  dangerous  experiment,  and  one  whicli  in  tiio  after  years 
terminated  in  blood  and  lire. 

IJut  now  in  these  opening  days  of  Queen  Anne's  reign  all 
WHS  i)eace,  and  the  good  Queen  and  iier  ministers,  and  the 
Society  for  the  propagation  of  tlie  gospel  in  foreign  jiarts,  all 
were  interested  in  their  children  the  Mohawks,  and  made  much 
of  tliem,  and  "Quidcr"  must  have  a  band  of  chiefs  cross  the 
Big  water  with  him.  They  must  go  to  liondon  to  see  the  Queen, 
and  so  tliere  was  great  excitement  in  England  in  1710,  for  in 
the  early  days  of  spring  there  had  come  from  Queen  Anne's 
Plantations  in  North  America  live  redoubtable  chiefs  from 
the  great  Iroquois  Confederacy  in  tlie  Province  of  Now  York, 
and  siilendid  garments  of  scarlet  cloth  had  been  prepared  for 
them,  as  they  were  to  liavo  an  audience  witli  her  majesty.  And 
the  [jord  Chamberlain  conveyed  them  in  the  great  lumber- 
ing coaches  of  the  day  with  much  ceremony  to  St.  James' 
Palace,  where  one  of  their  orators  made  a  speech  full  of  natural 
eloquence. 

Col.  Schuyler  had  taken  them  to  England  at  his  own  expense, 
lie  was  good  man,  and  one  whom  the  Indians  loved,  for  he  was 
always  just  to  them,  and  they  called  him  "  Quider,"  for  that 
was  as  near  as  they  could  come  to  Peter. 

And  now  the  good  Queen  Anne  and  her  servant  the  Governor 
of  New  York,  bethought  themselves  of  the  fact  that  the 
Mohawks  had  souls  that  were  perhaps  worth  saving. 

That  the  Jesuits  had  thought  of  this  long  before  was  not 
considered,  for  the  days  of  those  good  men  had  gone  by,  and 
the  English  hated  those  priests,  and  determined  that  they 
ahonld  no  more  come  among  the  Five  Nations,  and  passed  a  law 
that  no  Jesuit  should  come  among  the  Indians  under  penalty  of 

death . 

It  seems  that  the  Mohawks  were  anxious  for  a  teacher,  and 
their  appeals  to  "Corlaer"  for  a  church,  and  a  minister,  and 
that  the  traffic  in  rum  might  be  stopped  are  touching  and 
pathetic. 

We  do  not  know  whether  the  power  of  the  Queen   could 


as 


ONKIDA    IIISTOUICAI.    HOriETY. 


prevent  the  trmlors  from  tnkiiiR  rum  into  the  Moluvwk  country, 
but  the  constimt  uppciilH  for  ii  churcli  and  tlio  viHit  of  the  live 
chiefs  to  Kn>,'liin(l  witli  Colonel  Sohnylor,  iit  hi8t  hud  tlie  desired 
efTe(!l,  iind  it  wiis  decided  tlmt  ii  eiiurcl-.  -houhl  be  built  for  the 
Mohiiwks.  It  WI18  to  be  within  ii  fortilied  enclosure,  biilt  to 
protect  the  exposed  frontier  from  hostile  IndiiinHund  the  Kronch 
of  Ciiuuda. 

Tliero  is  coming  into  the  Mohiiwk  ii  few  miles  west  of  Amster- 
dam a  large  stream,  which,  rising  in  the  (.'utskill  mountains, 
runs  north  one  hund-..l  miles.  It  is  a  beautiful  and  picturesnuo 
river,  and  was  known  to  the  Indians  by  tarious  names,  one  of 
which,  the  Schoharie,  remains  to  this  day. 

At  the  mouth  of  this  stream  the  fort  and  chapel  were  built  in 
171'^,  and  called  Fort  Hunter,  after  the  Governor  of  the  Province. 
Here  was  the  lower  castle  of  the  Mohawks. 

A  contract  made  with  certain  Dutch  carpenters  of  Schenectady 
was  for  a  fort  of  squared  logs  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  on  each 
Bide,  with  a  wooden  chapel  within  the  enclosure.  This  latter, 
however,  was  built  of  stone,  with  port  holes  on  each  side  and  ii 
vault  beneath  for  a  powder  magazine. 

It  was  a  day  of  great  rejoicing  when  it  was  tinished. 

Here  came  the  soldiers  of  Queen  Anne,  armed  with  enormously 
long  muskets,  and  here  came  the  Indians,  and  after  a  time  came 
to  them  the  Key.  Petrus  Van  IJriesen  to  learn  theiv  language, 
and  to  teach  and  to  preach  to  them. 

But  Queen  Anne  not  only  built  them  a  chapel,  but  also  gave 
them  a  beautiful  and  valuable  communion  service.  It  was  of 
silver  and  consisted  of  five  pieces,  each  piece  bearing  the  follow- 
ing inscription:  "  The  gift  of  her  Majesty  Ann,  by  the  grace 
of  (lod,  of  Great  Britain,  France  and  Ireland,  and  of  her  Plan- 
tations  in   America.     Queen,  to   her   Indian  Chappel   of    the 

Mohawks." 

This  service  continued  at  Fort  Hunter  until  the  Revolution, 
when  it  was  taken  by  the  tribe  to  Canada.  It  is  still  in  constant 
use;  three  pieces  at  the  Mohawk  Church  at  Grand  River  and  two 
at  Deseronto.  At  the  former  also  can  still  be  seen  the  fair  white 
linen  cloth  for  the  communion  table,,  embroidered  with  the 
armorial  devices  of  the  royal  donor,  and  sacredly  kept  as  an 
heir  loom  and  a  memorial  of  the  days  of  old. 


TilK    MOMAWKH, 


33 


iloliiiwk  country, 
Tinit  of  tho  live 
t  liml  thoilosiretl 
be  built  for  tho 
closures  biilt  to 
H  und  tho  Kronch 

west  of  Amstor- 
tskill  mountuins, 
I  iind  picturcHfiuo 
18  niimoH,  one  of 

.pol  wore  built  in 
•of  the  Province. 

I'B  of  Schenectady 
fifty  feet  on  each 

re.  This  latter, 
each  side  and  a 

nished. 

.  with  enormously 

after  a  time  came 

thei.'  language, 

el.  but  also  gave 
rvice.  It  was  of 
aaring  the  follow- 
^nn,  by  the  grace 
and  of  her  Plan- 
Chappel   of    the 

the  Revolution, 
is  still  in  constant 
and  River  and  two 
ieen  the  fair  white 
roidered  with  the 
redly  kept  as  an 


Several  ministers  labored  in  thin  unpromiding  Held,  one  of 
whom  Haid:  "  There  is  no  hope  of  making  thorn  butter,  heathens 
they  are  umi  heathens  they  must  be." 

Uiit  altlioiigh  the  white  man's  example,  as  is  usually  the  case, 
'.vas  mostly  bad  and  demoi-Hli/iiig,  it  is  nevertheless  probable 
that  at  (^uoen  Aniio's  Chapel  her  ministord  did  teach  the 
Indian  girls  and  boys  something,  and  tiiut  tho  tribe  learned  in 
a  da/,ed  and  confused  way  what  the  religion  of  tho  white  man 
was. 

Tne  new  fort  so  protected  the  Mohawk  country  that  it  began 
to  bo  safe  for  emigrants,  explorers  and  adventiiiers  to  poi.otrato 
the  beautiful  land  in  much  greater  luimborH,  and  tlioy  coveted 
the  fair  heritage  of  the  Indian  and  took  it  all  from  him  in 
various  ways  and  by  many  ingenious  devices. 

Now  tho  theory  was  in  those  days  that  the  whole  country 
belonged  to  the  Queen  by  the  riglit  of  discovery,  but  it  was 
always  allowed  that  the  Five  Nations  owned  the  country  in 
which  they  lived.  So  it  came  to  i)a8s  that  when  any  one 
wanted  a  largo,  fair  stretch  of  country  which  he  may  have  seen 
while  wandering  to  and  fro  in  tho  earth  and  walking  up  and 
down  in  it,  he,  in  the  first  place,  bought  it  of  the  "native 
Indian  owners,"  and  received  from  them  a  deed  with  all  tho 
savage  emblems  of  their  clan  duly  painted  thereon.  But  after 
this  was  done  to  make  the  purchase  more  legal  and  sure,  thoy 
procured  from  tlio  Queen  a  Patent,  elegantly  written  on  parch- 
ment and  with  the  great  seal  of  the  Province  dangling  at  the 
bottom. 

There  is  a  certain  tract  of  land  containing  twenty  thousand 
acres  which  was  bought  of  tho  Mohawks  by  certain  gentry  of 
the  Province.  It  was  a  fair  and  beautiful  domain  of  hills  and 
meadows,  of  forests  and  streams,  of  trout  brooks  and  natural 
deer  parks;  the  very  centre  of  the  Mohawk  country,  and  on 
which  were  tho  sites  of  many  of  their  old  villages,  and  for  the 
whole  of  it  they  gave  to  the  poor  Indian  "  three  pieces  of  strouds, 
six  pieces  of  garlin  linen,  three  barrels  of  beer,  six  gallons  of 
rum,  and  a  fatt  beast,"  and  to  make  the  enormity  of  the  trans- 
action the  greater,  they  had  the  effrontery  to  say  in  the  deed 
that  "the  Indians  were  fully  satisfied." 

Whatever  success  the  Rev.  Petrus  Van  Driessen  may  have  had 


.14 


<t\KII>A    lllsioliii  Al,   SCI  IKTV. 


ill  ('liriHiiiinizinj?  tilt'  IiuliiuiM,  ho  cortii'iily  iccfiTcd  recognition 
1111(1  II  jfii'ut  tomporiil  reward  from  tliciii,  for  tliero  wiiH'i.»nvi'yotl  to 
iiiiii  liy  liflccti  iiicii  iiikI  wniiicii  of  tlif  Moluiwkx  u  tract  of  luiid 
two  aiiil  )■  liiilf  niiii'H  long  \i\  oiiu  iiiul  ii  l-ulf  wide,  and  tlio 
conH'doratioii  being  (Mirioue,  in  (pioted  froiii  the  yellow  old  deed 
UH  folloWH: 

'•  I'or  jindjjin  conHiiierdlioii  of  the  hovo,  (lond  Will  mid 
AtTectioii  whieli  we  have  and  hear  for  the  Uov.  I'etrnu  \'an 
DricHen,  Minister  of  the  goupcl,  and  iiIho  for  and  in  coiiHideration 
of  tho  great  /-eal,  unwearied  I'aiiiB,  KxpcnHeH  ami  TionhleH  for 
the  twenty  yearn  past,  hy  the  aliove  nientioned  i'ctriis  Nan 
Ih'ieHKeii,  and  his  fatlierly  Car'  in  the  IiiHtrnctioii  of  ih  and  our 
J'eoplo  in  the  ('liriiitian  Weligioii,  ainl  i''aitli,  1. ringing  iih  into 
tho  l''»dd  of  Cli.-int'H  (Munch  and  pirtakern  of  hiH  SiicraniontH  nn 
a  good  and  faitlifnl  I'ai-tor  of  ChriHt'H  l-"old  ought  to  doe,  to  our 
great  SatiHl'action  ami  Content;  and  further  for  the  Coiirtidera- 
tion  of  the  siiin  of  r,-.",'.  \u  shillingg,  cnrreiit  money  of  New 
York,  to  us  in  hand  paid." 

The  lii'Ht  patent  granted  in  the  Mohawk  country  wan  to  Capt. 
IliirinaniiH  \'an  Slyck  of  Sciienectady,  and  wa^  a  deed  of  gift 
from  the  Mohawks  to  him,  their  "loving  eo/.oii  and  friend, 
whose  grandmother  was  a  right  Mohogs  (■■(|iiaw,  and  his  father 
born  with  ns.  it.  being  his.  the  said  Ilarman,  by  right  of  iiiheri- 
tanco  fioiii  his  father,'" 

This  land  is  in  the  town  of  Palatine,  and  extends  along  tho 
river  for  six  miles,  and  upon  it  is  probably  tho  site  of  (ireon- 
halghs  village  of  Canajoiha  of  KlIT. 

After  this  tho  >  idians  were  in  constant  turmoil,  distress  and 
tronble  about  tla.i  lands.  It  was  parcelled  out  in  immense 
tracts  tho  whole  length  of  the  valley,  and  their  village  sites,  and 
their  corn  fields,  to  say  nothing  of  their  hunting  grounds  and 
their  fishing  places,  were  given  to  the  white  man. 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  they  felt  sore  and  aggrieved.  This  wag 
their  homestead,  but  not  only  was  that  [given  to  others,  but 
groat  states  contended  for  the  vast  territory  claimed  by  the  Five 
Nations  by  right  of  conquest,  reaching  to  the  banks  of  tho  Ohio 
and  tho  Mississippi. 

But  tho  Indians  were  constantly  protesting  against  these 
encroachments.     The  councils  liold  in  Albany  wore  many,  and 


ttiWmWB^WIwi 


I  in:  MiiiiAU  KN. 


MS 


fired  r('C<)j;iiiti(»ii 
■0  wiiH'!.>iivi>yotl  to 
<  II  tract  of  liiiiil 
ilf  wido,  1111(1  tilt) 
i«  }clI()W  old  dei'd 

(iond  Will  nwA 
k'l'v.  I'l'triiu  \'iiii 
1  ill  coiiHidcnition 
Hid  'ri'oubk'8  for 
Hied  I'd  Ills  Nun 
oil  of  iH  mid  our 
1. ringing  iiH  into 
lis  Saoniniontu  iih 
lit  to  doc,  to  our 
or  the  CoiMideni- 
t   nioin.'}'  of  Now 

itiy  was  to  dipt. 
,s  ii  deed  of  j,'ift 
)/on  iiiid  friend, 
V,  and  Ilia  father 
r  ri<,dit  of  iiilieri- 

xteiids  along  the 
0  site  of  (ireen- 

moil,  distress  and 

out  in  immense 

vilhifjo  sites,  and 

ing  grounds  and 

in. 

ievcd.  This  was 
u  to  others,  but 
limed  by  the  Five 
)anks  of  the  Ohio 

ing   against  these 
were  many,  and 


tiiev  were  carried  on  witii  nil  the  decoriiiii  and  attention  to 
preredent  and  cugtom  m»  neeoHHiiry,  but  they  ai'com|>li»<lii'd  noth- 
ing for  the  ludiaiiH,  for  they  had  now  gro'ii  poor  and  dependent, 
and  when  liiey  went  to  Albany  wiMi  grievimeeH  they  were 
cajoled  and  Ihitteretl,  and  their  oyeM  were  blinded  with  presentn. 

At  a  great  council  held  in  Alliany  in  ITU,  for  the  adjiHtinent 
of  grieviiiicei.  the  following  preHciitH  were  given  to  the  Indians: 
KtO  bags  of  powder,  l.'i  gitlloiiw  of  ruin  in  l.">  kegu,  ;ir  red  coat*, 
4  ps  ticks,  1  cask  pipes,  :<  ciinks  tobacco,  l'^  dozen  knives, 
'4,<Hio  Hints,  ■.'()  guns,  •>•■'•  cases  lead,  '.'  cases  shott,  I  |ts 
duMles,  4-i  yards  do,  1  keg  paint,  HS  torn  hawk^i,  :.  ps 
wtrouds,  .')  pairs  blankets.  And  to  the  sucheiiiH  in  private: 
14  blankt'tc,  is  bags  powder,  I'i  shirts,  a  gallons  rum. 

What  an  insane  policy  it  was  to  put  into  the  hands  of  these 
savages,  irritated  by  the  Iosh  of  their  laiidH  such  an  abundant 
supply  of  gnus,  toiiiahawks  and  scalping  knives. 

In  speaking  to  the  Mohawks  at  this  council,  (lovcrnor  Hunter 
reminded  them  of  the  fact  that  their  chiefs  when  in  Knglaiid 
had  asked  to  have  ii  church  built  and  a  ininister  sent  to  tlujm. 
He  liopetl  thai  now  the  (diiircli  was  built,  and  a  good  and  pious 
man  was  settled  among  them,  .hat  they  would  attend  the 
services  and  take  held  to  his  instructioiis.     To  this  they  replied: 

*'  Hrotlier  (.'orlaer: 

You  jiut  us  in  mind  that  wo  desired  a  Missioner  in  every  one 
A  our  castles  to  instruct  us  in  the  way  to  eternal  life.  We  own 
that  wo  desired  it.  Hut  wlioii  wo  consider  that  the  Christians 
here,  when  it  is  Sabliath  l)ays,_wliat  line  cloathes  they  have  when 
they  go  to  church,  and  that  goods  are  still  so  dear  that  we  can 
not  purchase  Sunday  cloathes,  but  would  be  necessitated  to  go  to 
church  with  an  old  bear  skin  and  deer  skin — We  have  deferred 
that  matter  till  goods  aro  cheaper,  that  we  may  have  cloathes 
suitable  to  go  to  church  withall." 

This  has  a  certain  ring  of  civilization  about  it,  but  it  shows  a 
sad  degeneracy.  The  proud  and  hiiughty  Mohawks  of  lloche- 
laga  and  Garoga,  clad  in  robes  of  fur  and  embroidered  deer 
skin  d'd  not  fear  to  stand  before  kings  and  assert  that  they 
were  the  "Konoshioni  "  men  before  all  others. 

The  building  of  a  church  and  the  establishment  of  a  fortified 
post  at  Fort  Hunter  gave  a  sudden  and  wonderful  impetus  to 
immigration  and  the  settlement  of  the  Mohawk  Valley. 


86 


ONEIDA    HISTORICAL   SOCIETY. 


As  early  as  1713  there  were  some  settlers  as  far. west  as 
Palatine;  but  the  great  immigration  of  the  Palatines  did  not 
take  place  till  17'^;3,  when  several  great  patents  were  granted, 
and  these  continued  in  ever  increasing  numbers  until  all  the 
lands  of  the  Mohawks  were  taken  up,  and  they  lived  upon  their 
old  domain  only  by  sufferance. 

As  the  white  population  increased  traders  and  merchants 
established  themselves  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Mohawk  country 
and  drew  to  themselves  the  Indian  trade  in  furs,  much  to  the 
disgust  of  Schenectady  and  Albany.  There  also  bfgan  very 
soon  to  be  a  surplus  of  white  products  and  it  was  apparent  that 
the  bark  canoe  was  not  sufficient  to  transport  the  traders' 
merchandise  up  the  river,  or  the  increasing  quantity  of  grain,  of 
pot  and  pearl  ash  and  ginseng  that  was  to  be  shipped  to  a  New 
York  and  European  market.  And  so  at  quite  an  early  day 
certainly  as  soon  as  1730  llatboats  and  batteaus  were  used  for  this 
purpose,  and  a  "  King's  Highway  "  was  laid  out  along  the  bank 

of  the  river. 

The  trade  in  ginseng  had  at  this  time  assumed  great  propor- 
tions. It  was  and  always  had  been  regarded  in  China  as  a 
panacea,  and  immense  quantities  were  imported  into  that  coun- 
try. The  source  of  supply  had  heretofore  been  the  regions  of 
Korea,  but  as  soon  as  it  was  discovered  that  it  was  abundant  in 
the  Iroquois  country,  the  trade  became  immense.  And  the 
Indians,  from  their  minute  acquaintance  with  the  country, 
became  the  principal  ones'  who  dug  it  up  and  brought  it  in. 
So  persistent  was  the  search  for  it. that  at  the  present  day,  over 
great  sections  of  the  Mohawk  country,  where  once  it  grew  in 
abundance,  now  not  a  single  plant  can  be  found. 

After  a  time  other  nationalities,  Scotch,  Irish,  English, 
helped  to  settle  the  Mohawk  valley,  but  at  first  Dutch  and  Ger- 
mans were  the  people  whj  entered  this  beautiful  region;  a 
sturdy,  hardy,  liberty  loving  people  who  feared  God,  dealt  fairly 
well  with  the  natives,  and  were  among  the  first  to  dispute  in 
America  the  divine  right  of  kings,  and  to  assert  in  unmistakable^ 
terms  their  determination  to  resist  all  forms  of  oppression  to  the 
end.  They  were  passing  far  up  the  valley  as  early  as  1730,  even 
to  the  German  Flats  and  Kingsland. 

Among  the  great  Indian  traders  who  at  this  early  day  came 


B»tii3i^aaaiMi^wwa»>w^i&'.»tfi 


TBB   BI0HAWK8. 


37 


as  far  west  as 
•alatines  did  not 
its  were  granted, 
lers  until  all  the 

lived  upon  their 

and  merchants 
Mohawk  country 
urs,  much  to  the 
also  began  very 
iras  apparent  that 
lort  the  traders' 
ntity  of  grain,  of 
shipped  to  a  New 
ite  an  early  day 
were  used  for  this 
it  along  the  bank 

ed  great  propor- 
id  in  China  as  a 
1  into  that  coun- 
iii  the  regions  of 
was  abundant  in 
nense.  And  the 
th  the  country, 
id  brought  it  in. 
present  day,  over 
once  it  grew  in 
d. 

I,  Irish,  English, 
it  Dutch  and  Ger- 
lutiful  region;  a 
i  God,  dealt  fairly 
rst  to  dispute  in 
rt  in  unmistakable^ 
f  oppression  to  the 
early  as  1730,  even 

is  early  day  came 


into  the  Mohawk  country  was  Jelles  or  Giles  Fonda,  afterwards 
Major  of  Militia,  and  the  friend  and  neighbor  of  Sir  William 
Johnson.  He  was  located  at  Cachnewaga,  and  his  trade  was  far 
reaching  and  extensive,  having  agents  at  Fort  Stanwix,  Oswego, 
Niagara  and  Detroit,  who  bought  furs  and  ginseng  of  the 
Indians,  tlius  forestalling  the  traders  of  Albany  and  the  French 
of  Montreal. 

His  yellow  old  papers,  letters  and  account  books  give  us  a 
realistic  glimpse  of  the  times  and  condition  of  things  in  our 
valley  Ht  that  day.  We  seem  to  stand  face  to  face  with  men 
who  long  before  the  Revolution  wrote  letters  from  Niagara,  and 
Detroit,  and  Fort  Stanwix,  who  tell  us  how  the  "  Sinica " 
Indians  have  gone  out  to  dig  ginseng,  and  how  many  packs  were 
ready  to  be  sent  down  from  Niagara;  how  "Bully  Roof"  had 
turned  his  cows  into  the  king's  garden  at  niglii  under  the  walls 
of  Fort  Stanwix,  and  how  low  the  supply  of  rum  '/as  at  Detroit. 
We  read  (lie  names  of  the  old  batteau  men,  and  how  many 
trips  they  made  to  Niagara,  and  what  they  were  paid,  and  how 
many  packs  of  furs  they  brought. 

We  can  look  into  Fonda's  old  trading  fort,  and  with  the  time 
stfiined  bills  in  hand,  see  the  kinds  of  goods  upon  the  .lielves  for 
white  man  and  Indian.     There  were   pewter   basons  and    gilt 
■cups,  herring  bone,  thread  and  worm  lace,  nests  of  gilt  trunks, 
scarlet   striped    gartering,    stag    couttoe    knives,  b'lck    spring 
knives,  yew  handled  lish  knives,  Irish  and  garlin  linen,  looking 
glasses  with  painted  frames,  Russia  wrappings,  fine  chintz  and 
white  cotton  molteons,  strouds  and  Indian  blankets,  Penuiston 
shoes,  and  Imndreds  of  other  things  for  the  settlers  and  Indians. 
One  great  bill  of  goods  amounting  to  €015  was  to  be  paid  for  in 
seven  months  in  ginseng  root  at  three  shillings  per  pound. 
This  would  require  over  6,000  pounds  of  ginseng. 
•    Here  is  a  long  account  of  sales  in  London  in  17G7,  of  one 
hogshead  of  "Furrs"  on  account  and  at  the  risk  of  Mr.  Jelles 
Fonda,  Merchant  at  Cachnewago,  foxes  and  martins,  muskrat, 
fisher,  otter,   wolves  and  squirrels,  but  no  beaver;    they  were 
practically  extinct.     The  amount  of  the  bill  was  £250,  and  the 
deductions    for    commissions,    brokerage,    freight,    trimmage, 
purage,  duty,  bill  money,  landing,  housing,   sorting,  beating, 
warehousing,  &c.,  were    €09  10s.  5d.     But  as  an  object  lesson 


38 


ONKIDA    IIISTORICAI.   SOCIETY. 


showins  to  us  the  status  aiul  condition  of  the  Mohawks  whoso 
fortunc"s  and  changes  we  have  followed  in  this  paper  from 
Ilochehiiia  to  this  time.  ^^ 

"The  Indian  Book,  for  Jelles  Fonda,  at  Cachnewaga,  1703, 
is  by  far  the  most  interesting  and  important. 

The  French  wars  had  closed;  the  Battle  of  Lake  George  had 
been  fought,  the  village  of  the  I'alatines  at  the  German  Flats 
had  been  destroyed,  Niagara  had  surrendered  to  Johnson, 
(^lebec  had  fallen  and  the  reign  of  New  France  had  ceased. 

In  all  these  events  the  Mohawks  had  taken  part,  following  in 
Johnson's  lead  with  more  or  less  discipline,  but  still  wreaking 
vengeance  in  their  own  savage  way  ujion  their  ancient  enemies. 
And  now  in  the  great  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac  they  held  aloof 
and  refused  to  tight  against  their  friends  the  English,  or  to 
help   in   establishing   a   universal   Confederacy   of  the   Indian 

TribGS  • 

So  we  see  them  in  this  year  1763  while  the  whole  western 
country  was  convulsed  by  Pontiac's  war,  at  homo  in  their 
Castles,  restless  under  the  restraints  of  an  ever  advancing 
civilization,  indignant  at  the  aggressions  of  the  settlers,  con- 
stantly complaining  and  protesting  to  Sir  Wm.  Johnson  that 
their  lands  were  being  taken  from  them  unlawfully.  Finally, 
to  give  them  something  to  do  Johnson  sent  some  two  hundred 
of  th^m  to  fight  against  the  Delawares  on  the  Ohio. 

What  kind  of  savages  were  these  Mohawks,  who  were  the 
neighbors  of  the  whites  and  who  traded  with  Major  Jelles  Fonda 
at  Cachnewaga?  In  the  first  place  we  can  see  the  names  of 
some  of  them  in  the  old  account  book;  they  are  childish,  foolish 
and  contemptuous,  and  show  how  low  the  Indian  had  fallen, 
and  how  he  was  despised  by  his  white  neighbor.  A  few  retained 
their  Indian  names,  but  by  far  the  greater  part  in  this  book  are 
named  as  one  would  name  dogs  and  horses:  Old  Brant,  Brant 
in  Thomas,  Wide  Mouth  Jacob,  Brant's  Nicholas,  Young  Aaron 
of  the  Hill,  Jan  from  the  Hill,  Young  Moses,  Snuffers  David,  The 
Squinty  Cayuga,  are  few  of  them.  A  page  from  the  book 
will  serve  as  an  example. 


IWWinTTillWWIIMIIIIiiiiill  Mil  llMIII — 


Mohawks  whose 
this   paper  from 

hnewaga,  1703," 

:^ake  George  liad 
1)6  Oeiman  Flats 
•ed  to  Johnson, 
I  had  ceased. 
)art,  following  in 
ut  still  wreaking 
ancient  enemies. 
3  they  held  aloof 
e  English,  or  to 
y   of  the   Indian 

18  whole  western 
t  homo  in  their 
ever  advancing 
the  settlers,  con- 
m.  Johnson  that 
AvfuUy.  Finally, 
ome  two  hundred 
3hio. 

cs,  who  were  the 
[ajor  Jelles  Fonda 
iee  the  names  of 
■e  childish,  foolish 
idian  had  fallen, 
.  A  few  retained 
b  in  this  book  are 
Old  Brant,  Brant 
las,  Young  Aaron 
lufEers  David,  The 
e   from   the   book 


THE    >^0!IA\VKS. 

"Youx(i  Moses,  Dk. 


30 

•J.  s.d. 
0  10  0 
0  12  0 
0     8  0 


II 
0 
0 
0 


0  0 

S  0 

1  i 

•2  0 


1763. 

Sept. -^0,     To  one  French  blanket. 

To  one  small         do 

To  4  KIls  White  linncn, 

To  1  pair  Indian  Stockings, 

To  1  hat,  .  .  .  • 

To  1  pint  of  rum  and  one  dram,     . 

To  1  quart  rum, 
I  havo  in  pledge  two  silver  wrist  bands." 

But  rum  and  beer  are  the  principal  commodities  charged  to 
all  the  Indians,  although  many  bought  blankets  and  stockings. 
Wide  Mouth  Jacob  is  charged  witli  a  horsewhip,  and  is  credited 
with  a  saddle. 

Many  left  in  pawn  silver  arm  bands,  and  wrist  bands,  and 
"draw  bands."  These  were  like  bracelets,  but  the  ends  were 
free  and  perforated  so  that  they  could  be  made  large  or  small. 
The  "draw"  bands  were  for  the  hair,  to  be  drawn  over  the 
braids,  and  were  made  telescopic,  one  sliding  into  another  so 
that  in  some  cases  the  whole  long  braid  was  cased  in  silver  bands. 

Montreal  was  the  great  source  for  the  supply  of  these  silver 
ornaments,  and  of  others'of  similar  decorative  character.  Tiiey 
are  found  through  ?  wide  region  of  country  from  the  Atlantic  to 

the  Mississippi. 

Wampum  bands  and  belts  were  also  among  the  things  left  as 
pledges  of  the  honesty  of  the  customer;  but  all  of  these  pledges 
were   uniformly  redeemed,  and,  in   fact,  to   the  credit  of  the  ■ 
Indian  be  it  said  the  accounts  all  seem  to  have  been  paid. 

The  mother-in-law  of  young  Moses  bought  a  gallon  of  rum 
and  left  in  pawn  "2  stole  traps  "  and  two  silver  crosses.  The 
latter  were  probably  heirlooms  from  the  time  of  the  Jesuits. 
■  We  have  now  come  to  the  time  when  for  a  mess  of  potage  the 
Mohawks,  and  other  nations  of  the  confederacy,  sold  to  the 
white  man  all  of  those  vast  landed  possessions  that  were  theirs 
by  the  same  right  that  civilized  nations  claim  theirs— the  right 

of  conquest. 

For  810,000  and  rum  without  limit  they  sold  Kentucky,  West 
Virginia  and  Western  Pennsylvania,  and  were  thereafter  of 
little  account  as  owners  of  the  soil. 


40 


ONEIDA    HIHTORI<:Ar,   SOCIETY. 


They  continued  to  reside  in  the  valley,  they  met  in  councils 
innumerable  and  stated  their  grievances  constantly;  they 
haunted  Johnson  Hall,  and  swarmed  through  the  orchards  and 
gardens,  for  Molly  was  the  mistress,  and  her  nation  were  licensed 
to  do  as  they  pleased. 

But  there  was  a  growing  sullenness  and  discontent  among 
them,  for  tliey  saw  their  goodly  land  in  the  hands  of  the  white 
man,  and  there  was  no  help  for  it.  Sir  William  died  during  the 
fir-t  mutterings  of  the  storm,  and  Sir  John,  his  son,  reigned  in 
his  stead. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  enter  into  any  details  in  regard  to  the 
great  struggle.  Tiie  story  has  been  written  many  times.  It  has 
been  said  that  Sir  John  has  been  traduced  and  slandered,  but  it 
is  doubtful  whether  any  of  the  df-^ndants  of  the  Mohawk 
valley  revolutionary  patriots  can  ever  be  convinced  that  he  did 
not  do  an  atrocious  deed  when  he  incited  the  Mohawks  and 
their  kindred  to  lift  the  hatchet  against  the  people  of  the 
Mohawk  valley. 

How  magnillcent  was  the  bravery  and  love  of  liberty  of  these 
foeman  of  the  Mohawks.  Isolated  on  an  exposed  frontier,  they 
not  only  had  the  British  soldier  to  light,  but  they  had  the  foes 
of  their  own  household,  and  lash  and  worst  of  all  they  had  the 
bloody  Mohawks  smarting  with  injuries  real  and  imaginary, 
and  stimulated  by  British  gold,  and  led  on  by  John  Johnson 
and  Guy — by  the 'Butlers,  by  C.'oghan,  and  all  the  rest  of  the 
Johnstown  retainers. 

Scant  justice  has  been  done  to  our  valley  by  the  historians, 
scant  justice  to  a  people  who  through  all  the  long  struggle  were 
a  bulwark  on  the  most  exposed  frontier,  who  kept  back  that  ever 
besetting  tide  from  the  north,  which  was  ready  to  sweep  down 
and  overwhelm  the  Hudson  and  all  New  England;  scant  justice 
to  men  who  faced  all  the  hovrors  that  sayages  can  inflict,  and 
who  suffered  more  for  the  cause  of  liberty  than  any  other  section 
of  the  thirteen  colonies. 

They  fought  Briton  and  Tory  and  Mohawk  alike  through  all 
the  long  struggle,  and  at  its  close  there  was  a  wide  waste  of 
ruined  farms,  of  smoldering  houses,  and  churches,  and  barns, 
and  three  thousand  widows  and  orphan  children. 

Scant  justice  have  the  historianf,  done  to  the  Mohawk  Vttiiey. 


«to$««,';<jH««ni 


imiiMWiiwwwi 


THE    MOHAWKS. 


41 


met  in  councils 
distantly;  they 
10  orchards  and 
ion  were  licensed 

scontent  among 
ds  of  the  white 
L  died  during  the 
i  son,  reigned  in 

in  regard  to  the 
ly  times.  It  has 
slandered,  but  it 
of  the  Mohawk 
ced  that  he  did 
e  Mohawks  and 
i   people   of   the 

'  liberty  of  these 
2d  frontier,  they 
ley  had  the  foes 
ill  they  had  the 

and  imaginary, 
f  John  Johnson 

tho  rest  of  the 

f  the  historians, 
»ng  struggle  were 
pt  back  that  ever 

to  sweep  down 
,rd;  scant  justice 

can  inflict,  and 
any  other  section 


Lexington  !  Concord '.  Bunker  Hill  '.  ,        ,         •,  „  ,  „„i 

These  are  the  names  that  the  historians,  and  poets,  and  school 

book  makers  love  to  honor.  ,    ^   ,,      „  ^„,.o 

This  is  well.  Not  that  we  love  Ca>sar  less  but  Rome  moie. 
would  we  be  rejoiced  to  see  the  men  of  the  Mohawk  v'^lley  lecog- 
nized,  and  Oriskany,  and  Stoue  Arabia,  and  Sharon,  likewise 
iGceivo  their  due  meed  of  praise  and  appreciation . 

But  the  men  of  the  Mohawk  valley  have  never  l^«<^"  ^^^^^^'f  f 
for  that  sublime  self  assertion  that  distinguishes  the  men  o 
New  England .     But  whether  the  deeds  done  hei-e  are  -VV^^^ 
or  not,  we  have  the  consciousness  that  our  forefathers  did  then 
duty  nobly,  and  wc  honor  their  memory. 

We  have   ccme   to  the   closing   scene  of  our  sketch  of  the 

Mohawks.  ,  .  ..        ,,  „  oi,r.vPH 

In  a  few  canoes  a  wretched  band  are  seen  skirting  t  le  shoies 
of  the  Bav  of  Quinte.     Discouraged,  poor,  homeless,  t-y  seek 
:  site  for;  village  in  a  new  land.     They  have  left  then-  na^^^^ 
valley,  their  churches,  their  iuuiting  grounds,  and  the  graves  of 
their  dead,  and  the  white  man  occupies  all  the  goodly   ana 

A  few  years  ago  two  Mohawks  passing  down  the  valley  on  the 
Cettral  nulroad^vere  seen  upon  the  platfoi-m  of  one  of  te jars 
with  animation  pointing  out  to  each  other  the  objects  of  n     i 
in  this  ancient  seat  of  their   tribe.     They   had  a  tmd itio  al 
knowledge  of  it  all,  and  the  old  Indian  names  of  the  lulls  and 
trei^lB  were  familiar  to  them.     They  -uld  see  the  chju^^^^^^^ 
Indian  Castle  which  Sir  William  Johnson  built  for  ^\l'     ';f^'l;^ 
and  the  spot  at  Fort  Hunter  where  Queen  Anne  bu.lt  lei  Indian 
chapel  of  the  Mohawks.     They  passed  by  the  sites  o    Teononto- 
gen  and  Osseruenon,  and  they  .aw  the  hills  among  which  Garoga 

''"stdcal  as  they  naturally  are.  these  red  men  shed  tears  no 
•doubtrof  regret  and  sorrow  that  in  this  old  stronghold  of  their 
tribe  they  were  nothing  but  strangers. 


dike  through  all 

I  a  wide  waste  of 

•ches,  and  barns, 

a. 

3  Mohawk  vniiey. 


